Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Matt Storey recently put electronic tagging technology to the test, in a bid to learn more about how high-risk offenders are managed in the community.
The PCC chairs the Cleveland Criminal Justice Board. It brings together representatives from the police, courts, probation services, the Crown Prosecution Service and prisons.
The Board aims to streamline processes, improve timeliness of the system and improve victim satisfaction.
As part of his objective to reduce offending and re-offending, Matt was keen to learn more about how tagging helps to curb offending behaviour.
In May, Matt chose to wear a device for one day. During that time, he had his weekly meeting with the Chief Constable, visited a local charity and hosted a scrutiny session with senior police officers.
This was followed by a meeting with staff from the Probation Service, who manage the electronic tagging process, to show the Commissioner how he was tracked during his day.
Matt said: “When used properly, tagging is an effective tool to restrict the behaviour of high-risk offenders, through curfews, exclusion zones and monitoring alcohol use.
“It was an eye-opening experience to wear a tag for a day, to help me to understand the experiences of offenders and how they can be effectively monitored as they return to communities.
“The most interesting part was to see how my whereabouts has been mapped alongside crimes that had taken place in the same area.”
Concerns
Matt has previously raised concerns about the tagging process after a Channel 4 Dispatches report broadcast in April 2025 exposed failures in offender management in the Cleveland area.
He wrote to the Justice Secretary at the time to express his disappointment at the effectiveness of the private contract used to deliver electronic tagging and to call for an urgent review of current arrangements.
Since then, the PCC has received assurances locally and nationally that there has been improvements in the delivery of the service.
Peace of Mind
Matt added: “This process has given me peace of mind that this system is operating effectively locally, despite shortcomings in the national contract in place.
“I’m grateful to the local Probation Service for their openness in allowing me to trial this technology, which has allowed me to give assurances to the public that offenders are being watched.”