December 07, 2019 - 1:39 PM
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Upset over how judges have used the bail system, police in Charlotte, North Carolina, said they will no longer assign electronic ankle bracelets to monitor murder suspects who are released on bail.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney announced the policy Friday as a way to encourage local judges to keep potentially violent suspects in jail before a trial, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Under the new policy, suspects released on bail will not have their locations monitored by authorities prior to trial.
Putney has been critical of the court system for being too lenient and said he implemented the policy without discussing it with judges or magistrates.
“I’m the only chief,” he said. “They don’t consult with me when they recommend people (for electronic monitoring).”
Putney said the department is also considering not assigning ankle bracelets to people charged with other violent crimes, like rape.
Police said they currently monitor 466 people who wear GPS-enabled ankle bracelets. Of those, 31 have been charged with murder and 134 have been charged with armed robbery.
News from © The Associated Press, 2019