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Feature: Ankle-tags on drinkers cuts alcohol-fuelled crime in London

Xinhua, February 25, 2016 Adjust font size:

A scheme in London that monitors the alcohol intake of criminals using ankle tags was Thursday hailed a success.

London Mayor Boris Johnson and the government's Ministry of Justice (MOJ) said a pilot scheme to crackdown against alcohol related crime has shown a 92 percent compliance rate.

The innovative pilot scheme to keep criminals sober will now be extended across the British capital giving courts the powers to put an ankle bracelet on offenders whose crimes were influenced by alcohol.

The tags perform around-the-clock monitoring of alcohol in an offender's perspiration. If they drink again, breaching their alcohol abstinence order, they can be returned to the courts for further sanctions.

The MOJ said alcohol related crime costs British taxpayers up 18 billion U.S. dollars every year.

The MOJ is contributing 558,000 U.S. dollars towards the cost of extending the scheme past its initial four pilot boroughs to the whole of the capital from April 2016.

The initiative will be run by the London Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), which is contributing 628,000 U.S. dollars to the extension.

Justice Secretary Michael Gove said: "I am absolutely committed to reducing reoffending -- so we can cut crime and better protect the public."

"By giving courts this new power and making the latest technology available, we are helping offenders understand the detrimental impact drinking alcohol can have on their behaviour," Gove said.

"This innovative approach has delivered impressive results so far and we will be building on them with this this wider London roll out," Gove added.

Mayor Boris Johnson said: "Alcohol-fuelled crimes put a huge strain on frontline services, costing the taxpayer billions of pounds each year."

"From assault, to drink-driving, to theft and criminal damage, this innovative technology is driving down reoffending and proving rehabilitation does not have to mean prison," according to Johnson.

"After such a success in South London, it's time to roll out these tags to the rest of the capital and rid our streets of these crimes, by helping even more offenders stay off the booze and get back on the right track," added Johnson.

MOPAC has overseen an 18-month pilot of the sobriety tags across four London boroughs.

Thursday's report finds the tags enjoy a 92 percent compliance rate. In the first 12 months of the pilot, 113 alcohol abstinence requirement orders were made and offenders were required to remain sober for up to 120 days. This compares favourably with the compliance rate for other community based orders. Endit