Met Police to stop responding to some short electronic tag breaches in trial
The Metropolitan Police is piloting a scheme under which officers will not routinely act on tag breaches lasting under an hour unless there is a risk to the public. Outlets differ in tone and on whether Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley's figure of 100-plus breaches is daily or weekly.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2The Metropolitan Police has launched a trial under which officers will not routinely act on electronic tag breaches lasting less than an hour, unless there is a risk to the public, a safeguarding concern or evidence of a crime. Daily MirrorL “officers will not routinely act on curfew or tag-battery breaches lasting less than an hour, unless there is a risk to the public or a safeguarding concern.” Read at Daily Mirror ↗ Daily ExpressR “will no longer routinely investigate tagging breaches lasting less than an hour unless they involve high-risk offenders” Read at Daily Express ↗ Mixed · 2Breach notifications will still be reviewed, and only higher-risk cases will progress towards a possible arrest; the pilot is due to run until spring. GB NewsR “Breach notifications will still be reviewed, but will only lead to a possible arrest where risk or safeguarding concerns exist.” Read at GB News ↗ Daily MirrorL “The pilot will run until spring and applies to people bailed by the courts, including those awaiting trial.” Read at Daily Mirror ↗ Mixed · 2The Met said high-risk cases, such as breaches of conditions designed to protect domestic abuse victims, remain a priority, and that it will "absolutely respond" where there is a risk to the public. Daily MirrorL “Where there is a risk to the public, particularly if someone is breaching conditions designed to protect a victim, we will absolutely respond.” Read at Daily Mirror ↗ Daily ExpressR “Offenders who are high risk, such as domestic abusers, are a priority.” Read at Daily Express ↗
Mixed · 2A Met spokesperson justified the change by citing cases such as offenders stepping outside for a cigarette, or police being notified 19 hours after someone was 15 minutes late home, saying tying up several officers for hours is not the best use of resources and that pressures "cannot always fall on policing". Daily MirrorL “Where offenders have briefly stepped outside for a cigarette, or police are notified 19 hours later that they were 15 minutes late returning home, tying up several officers for hours is not the best use of resources.” Read at Daily Mirror ↗ GB NewsR “tying up several officers for hours is not the best use of resources," a force spokesperson said.” Read at GB News ↗ Right · 1GB News reported that the Met expects the change to cut the number of breaches needing a police response by more than 15 per cent. GB NewsR “The Met expects the change to cut the number of breaches demanding a police response by more than 15 per cent.” Read at GB News ↗ Right · 2The change comes amid pressure from the Government's early-release scheme; the Express reported that about 4,500 prisoners are due to be freed early by next June, with 1,350 already released this month. Daily ExpressR “Some 4,500 prisoners are due to be freed early by next June, with 1,350 already released this month.” Read at Daily Express ↗ GB NewsR “mounting strain on resources tied to the Government's early release programme” Read at GB News ↗
Right · 3Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has said officers face more than 100 tag breaches, which the Mirror and GB News report as a day and the Express as a week, alongside two or three early-release prisoners a week who must be arrested and returned to jail. Daily MirrorL “I think it's now over 100 tag breaches a day in London, we're being sent.” Read at Daily Mirror ↗ Daily ExpressR “officers were dealing with more than 100 tagging breaches a week” Read at Daily Express ↗ GB NewsR “His officers are dealing with "over 100 tag breaches a day," he has stated.” Read at GB News ↗ Left · 1Rowley also said "95%-plus" of tagging breaches the Met arrests lead to people being bailed back on the same condition, "so there is zero sanction", though he said tagging "could work". Daily MirrorL “95%-plus of the tagging breaches that we arrest are simply being bailed back into the community on the same condition, so there is zero sanction” Read at Daily Mirror ↗ Mixed · 2The Mirror and GB News say the pilot covers people bailed by the courts, including those awaiting trial, while those released early are supervised by probation, which alerts police to breaches. GB NewsR “Those released early from prison under the separate early release programme are supervised by the probation service, which alerts police to any breaches.” Read at GB News ↗ Daily MirrorL “applies to people bailed by the courts, including those awaiting trial” Read at Daily Mirror ↗
Right · 2The Ministry of Justice said it inherited a prison system "on the brink of collapse" and "will never jeopardise public safety", pointing to restriction zones and the largest expansion of electronic tagging; GB News adds ministers cited police funding of £18.5bn. Daily ExpressR “We will never jeopardise public safety.” Read at Daily Express ↗ GB NewsR “Ministers also pointed to police funding rising to £18.5bn and record investment in the probation service.” Read at GB News ↗ Right · 1Hetti Barkworth-Nanton of the charity Refuge told the Express that the priority must be offenders who breach exclusion or restriction zones protecting victims, and called for measures designed specifically for managing such offenders in the community. Daily ExpressR “the priority must be to deal with offenders who breach exclusion or restriction zones designed to protect victims.” Read at Daily Express ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Mirror presents the pilot as a force scaling back enforcement under pressure, with the Met's reasoning and Rowley's comments on lack of sanctions.
- Emphasis
- Rowley's 'zero sanction' remark, that tagging 'could work', and the Met working with partners on consequences.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the early-release numbers, the Government response or the 15 per cent expected reduction.
- Charged language
- “won't respond to all tag breaches”“reduces enforcement”
- For example
-
“The Met Police is set to scale back its response to some electronic tag breaches under a new trial scheme.” — Daily Mirror
“so there is zero sanction” — Daily Mirror
Centre1 outlet
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right3 outlets
- Framing
- Express and GB News lead on offenders escaping arrest or being allowed to 'roam free', tying the move to Labour's early-release policy.
- Emphasis
- Early-release numbers, recalls, officer shortages and the Government's defence.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither carries Rowley's 'zero sanction' remark or his view that tagging 'could work'; the Express misses that the pilot covers bailed people.
- Charged language
- “roam free”“allow offenders to breach tag conditions without arrest”“Labour has introduced a presumption”
- For example
-
“Metropolitan Police allowing tagged criminals who breach conditions to roam free” — GB News
“could avoid immediate police action” — Daily Express
What every side reports
- The Met is trialling a scheme under which it will not routinely act on tag breaches lasting under an hour unless risk or safeguarding concerns exist.
- High-risk cases such as domestic abuse remain a priority.
- The Met spokesperson cited the cigarette and 19-hours-notice/15-minutes-late examples.
- The pilot comes amid pressure linked to the early-release programme.
Where accounts differ
-
How many tag breaches Met officers handle
- Left
- The Mirror quotes Rowley: over 100 tag breaches a day in London.
- Right
- GB News says over 100 a day; the Express says more than 100 a week.
-
The Met will no longer routinely act on tag breaches lasting under an hour unless there is high risk or evidence of a crime.
Supported- Supports 3
- Daily Mirror, Daily Express, GB News
-
Met officers are dealing with more than 100 tag breaches a day.
Supported- Supports 2
- Daily Mirror, GB News
- Earlier 1
- Daily Express
Metropolitan Police organisation
Says the pilot prioritises resources on high-risk cases, since pressures on the justice system cannot always fall on policing, and that all breaches will still be reviewed.
“To best protect the public, those pressures cannot always fall on policing and certainly not without prioritisation.” — Daily Mirror
“The force stressed that all breaches would be reviewed to ensure there were no safeguarding risks.” — Daily Express
Left1 article
-
Met Police 'won't respond to all tag breaches' as force reduces enforcement in new trial scheme
Neutral Reports a scaling back under pressure, balancing Met rationale with Rowley's remarks on lack of sanctions.
Centre2 articles
Right3 articles
-
Police will allow offenders to breach tag conditions without arrest
Critical Frames the pilot as offenders escaping arrest, linked to Labour's early releases, with the Government's defence at the end.
-
GB NewsR ·
Metropolitan Police allowing tagged criminals who breach conditions to roam free
Alarmist Headline says tagged criminals will 'roam free'; emphasises strain from early release and officer shortages.
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- 25 Oct 15:25 First Evening StandardN Met to scale back action on minor tag breaches amid police officer shortages
- 25 Oct 16:03 +37m Daily ExpressR Police will allow offenders to breach tag conditions without arrest
- 25 Oct 16:25 +1h GB NewsR Metropolitan Police allowing tagged criminals who breach conditions to roam free
- 25 Oct 16:43 +1h 18m Daily MailR Met Police won't enforce breaches of some tag conditions as it struggles to cope with early release scheme
- 25 Oct 16:49 +1h 23m Evening StandardN Metropolitan Police to reduce enforcement of tag breaches
- 25 Oct 20:30 +5h 5m Daily MirrorL Met Police 'won't respond to all tag breaches' as force reduces enforcement in new trial scheme
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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