Charlotte police: No more ankle bracelets for murder suspects
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Upset over how judges have used the bail system, police in Charlotte, 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.
Earlier this week, the Alamance County District Attorney told ABC11 that changes need to be made when it comes to electric ankle monitoring after a young mother was gunned down outside a medical center in Durham by her estranged boyfriend.
Lequintin Ford was wearing an ankle monitor at the time of the shooting and a judge ordered him to stay away from the victim.
