Quebec reviews ankle bracelet system after police arrest offender who cut off his device

Parole Agent Steve Nakamura inspects a GPS locater worn on the ankle of a parolee in Rio Linda, Calif. on Aug. 3, 2009. (AP Photo / Rich Pedroncelli)

The Ministry of Public Security confirmed on Thursday that an offender in Quebec who was required to wear an ankle monitor following a case of domestic violence was able to remove the device.

The ministry said the individual was intercepted last week by police and will face new charges for failing to comply with his release conditions. No physical harm was caused by the man.

The province says it has "strengthened" its protocols after the event and made additional improvements to make the system safer for victims.

"Following this incident, the Minister of Public Security requested that an operation be carried out quickly to verify all anti-tampering bracelets in circulation. This operation is now completed and has confirmed that all installed devices are compliant and functional," the ministry said in a news release.

The devices, known as 'bracelets antirapprochements' (BARs) in French, can be requested by a judge, a parole board, or a jail. They are worn by an accused or convicted person of domestic abuse and send a signal to a private security firm who tracks their movements. If they come within a certain perimeter of a victim, the victim is notified and so are the police.

The incident this month happened on Montreal's South Shore, according to a report by TVA, which said the man was able to cut his bracelet off. A ministry spokesperson told CTV News this was the first time someone has been able to remove the device from their ankle.

It's at least the second time the devices have malfunctioned. In September, the ankle bracelet didn't notify a victim when an offender was nearby in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, on the South Shore. In that case, police were called and intervened before arresting the offender.

In May 2022, Quebec was the first jurisdiction in North America to adopt the devices to track offenders in domestic violence cases. To date, 279 braceleted have been imposed in Quebec and police have had to intervene 538 times after receiving a signal.

Quebec introduced the technology following pressure from advocates for domestic violence victims and Quebec Coroner Stephanie Gamache, who, in 2021 formally recommended the province adopt the devices. She made the recommendation after concluding in her report that the death of 22-year-old Marylene Levesque in Quebec City could have been avoided if a convicted killer who was out on parole was wearing the device.

The technology involves two components: an ankle bracelet and mobile application on the victim's phone.

"We would like to assure victims benefiting from the program that all necessary measures have been implemented to preserve their safety," the ministry said Thursday.

"These people can also communicate, if necessary, with the probation officer acting as a 'BAR respondent' to monitor their file. At any time, anyone fearing for their safety can call 911 for assistance."