The City of Williams Lake is delivering on its promise and will be leasing 10 GPS electronic tracking anklets from SafeTracks GPS Canada Inc.
“We are tired of being in the top 10 of criminal communities,” said Coun Scott Nelson during Tuesday’s regular council meeting as council voted unanimously to sign an agreement with the company.
“This is another tool that will help knock down crime in our community.”
The anklets are impressive, Nelson added.
“You can put this on somebody, and the RCMP can track them and monitor them. They can be activated to allow people to go into zones or not go into zones.”
The anklets will be leased on a one-year term, beginning May 30, 2018.
Nelson said council will be asking the courts to use the anklets for people who are on bail or probation that the courts feel are a danger to the citizens in the community.
“Public safety and security are issues in this community and these anklets will be another tool that can add value by tracking these people that have got lengthy records, who disregard the courts and threaten our community.”
Mayor Walt Cobb said the cost is a huge savings because of the 24-hour a day service the anklets provide.
“There are times when offenders are on curfew and the RCMP have to go check on them four times a day or evening,” Cobb said.
“Once these devices are on they will be monitored and that will save a lot of RCMP time.”
Council has had contact with the RCMP as well as Crown Counsel and everyone at this stage of the game approves of the program, Cobb said.
“It’s good news and we plan to assist the RCMP in anyway we can,” Cobb added, noting the anklets have to be part of sentencing determined by a judge.
Unlike former models, the GPS tracking works through a satellite and is much more effective, Cobb said.
Read more: BC mayor urges province to use 24/7 electronic monitoring for offenders
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