OVER the last few years serious concerns have been raised about the arrangements which were in place to monitor the movements and behaviour of serious offenders on their release from prison.
Public anxiety was increased by a number of high profile cases, in which violent crimes were committed by criminals who had previously served sentences and who should have been under a close watch by the authorities but managed to slip through the ne
t.
Thus yesterday's announcement by the Northern Ireland Office that a new team – drawing together the police, probation service and social services – is being established, should offer reassurance to the community.
It is also to be welcomed that the unit's remit will not be restricted to those who have carried out sexual offences in the past but will also include people who were guilty of violent attacks.
Initially, this will only refer to incidents in which children or vulnerable adults were the victims but other categories will be phased in and this should happen as soon as possible in order to offer ordinary people the maximum protection.
The PSNI officer who will oversee the new arrangements, Assistant Chief Constable Duncan McCausland, estimates that around 60 offenders will eventually be monitored.
While it is impossible given current resources to keep them all under surveillance around the clock, if the agencies discharge their duties the revised structures should go some way towards making our society a safer place.
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