Manitoba to use electronic anklets as ‘tool’ to track domestic abuse offenders

The province says it expects only about six offenders will be outfitted with GPS-equipped anklets each year.

Justice Minister Andrew Swan says the devices are another tool to give more security to victims and possibly change the behaviour of offenders.

The expansion comes after electronic monitoring was introduced by the province in 2008 to deal with high auto-theft rates, but a 2012 report found anklets only played a small role in a big drop in thefts.

The Opposition Progressive Conservatives have said the anklets should be attached to high-risk sex offenders who have just been released from jail and are under strict court orders.

Swan says the province wants to first evaluate how the expansion of monitoring for certain domestic violence cases performs before looking at other type of offenders.