Offenders convicted of alcohol-related crimes in four London boroughs are to be required to wear tags capable of detecting whether they’re still drinking.
The ankle bracelets sample the wearer’s perspiration every 30 minutes to test for alcohol consumption and will alert the offender’s probation officer to any breach.
A year-long pilot scheme launched by Mayor Boris Johnson today and covering Croydon, Lambeth, Southwark and Sutton will allow the probation service to assess the tags’ effectiveness.
City Hall says the pilot follows the Mayor’s “successful lobbying of Government for new sentencing powers” aimed at tackling alcohol related crime and disorder.
Mayor Johnson said: “Alcohol-fuelled criminal behaviour is a real scourge on our high streets, deterring law-abiding citizens from enjoying our great city especially at night, placing massive strain on frontline services, whilst costing businesses and the taxpayer billions of pounds.
“I pledged to tackle this booze culture by making the case to Government for new powers to allow mandatory alcohol testing as an additional enforcement option for the courts.
“This is an approach that has seen impressive results in the US, steering binge drinkers away from repeated criminal behaviour and I am pleased we can now launch a pilot scheme in London.”
