Tracking bracelets to keep offenders away from victims implemented in Montreal

Tracking bracelets to keep individuals accused or convicted of violent crimes away from their victims are being deployed in four new regions of Quebec: Montreal, Côte-Nord, Estrie and Centre-du-Québec.

Quebec City, Chaudière-Appalaches, Joliette and Salaberry-de-Valleyfield previously obtained the device last spring.

The bracelet was then implemented in Lanaudière, the Laurentians, Laval and Montérégie in the fall. Mauricie and Outaouais were added a few weeks ago.

So far, 65 ankle bracelets have been imposed in the province. A judge, the Quebec Parole Board and management of a detention facility are authorized to order the wearing of the device.

The device is a bracelet worn on the ankle that the accused or offender cannot remove. It’s paired with a mobile application installed on a cell phone given to the victim or alleged victim. As soon as the wearer of the bracelet is within a certain perimeter from which the victim is located, a signal is transmitted to a monitoring centre, and a police intervention will be triggered.

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Quebec is the first Canadian legislation to adopt technology aimed at protecting victims of domestic violence, Public Security Minister François Bonnardel said in a press release.

Bas-Saint-Laurent and Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean should be the next regions to welcome the technology next month. Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine and Nord-du-Québec will follow in September.

The deployment of the bracelet at the provincial level comes with an estimated cost of $41 million.

—This report by La Presse Canadienne was first published in French and translated by CityNews