A program that uses tracking bracelets to monitor people accused of crimes and considered dangerous is being expanded beyond Winnipeg and will include the use of an app that can provide resources and emergency assistance to survivors of domestic violence, the province announced Thursday.

“It makes a huge difference in giving the victim the power, the ability to feel safe and deploy the necessary resources,” Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said at a news conference in Selkirk on Friday .

The province rolled out the monitoring program to monitor people released on bail in August and initially set specific criteria for which accused offenders can be fitted with monitors, which includes violent offenders but excludes cases of murder, assault serious sexual or gun violence.

The program also initially excluded cases of domestic violence, but the province is now expanding it to include people accused in such cases.

The project also extends from Winnipeg to several rural areas, starting December 2, to include areas around Steinbach, Selkirk, Pembina Valley, Portage la Prairie, Brandon, Westman and Dauphin.

“We have seen tragedies in this province. We know our crime rates outside of Winnipeg and in rural Manitoba are high, and we know our domestic violence rates are high compared to the rest of the country,” Wiebe said. .

Manitoba’s monitoring program will also now provide tools to survivors through a smartphone app called Empower, which Wiebe says is a “game changer.”

The app can notify survivors if an offender has violated the terms of their bail or probation, Wiebe said.

It will allow survivors to access information and resources, such as upcoming court dates in the accused offender’s case, and has a panic button that a survivor can press if they need help. ‘immediate help.

This will put them in contact with the commissioners who monitor the program for advice or, if the situation worsens, ask them to send help.

“For too long, survivors of domestic violence in this province have been forced to protect themselves, and often alone, without government support,” said Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine during the announcement. on Friday.

“It’s about believing in women, girls, two-spirit and gender diverse people… It’s about supporting them in real time.” »

Wiebe said the decision on whether defendants receive the ankle bracelets will continue to be determined by a judge’s order.

In August, the province announced it would deploy 100 devices. So far, only 31 devices are in use, Wiebe said, but with expansion, he expects all devices to be in use soon.

“Law enforcement and the courts are really going to be interested in this issue as they understand the technology and continue to deploy it,” he said.

“Major milestone”: shelter coordinator

The expansion of the program is an “important step” in combating increasing levels of violence, particularly in rural communities where there is a lack of resources, safe spaces and psychological support, said Tsungai Muvingi, provincial coordinator of the Manitoba Association of Women’s Shelters.

“It has unfortunately become all too common for perpetrators to seek out, stalk, harass, coerce and continue to abuse women, children and individuals fleeing gender-based violence,” she said.

The monitoring program is a survivor-centered approach to helping victims, she said, and helps connect them with law enforcement, who don’t always respond in time through other methods including calls to 911.

Fontaine said the program responds to the reality of victims of violence, particularly in First Nations communities who have been calling for real-time support for years.

“The ability to use an app in itself is pretty safe.… The person using it will feel safer rather than having to call 911,” she said.

Other provinces have used electronic offender monitoring for years, Wiebe said.

Manitoba previously had an ankle bracelet program that was phased out in 2017 by the then-Progressive Conservative government after a review determined many of the bracelets were inaccurate or ineffective.

But in 2023, then-PC Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen reversed course and promised to reinstate the program. The Conservatives were defeated in the October 2023 election before they could do so.

Wayne Balcaen, justice critic for the Progressive Conservative party, said ankle bracelets are a tool for law enforcement.

But “Manitobans, tired of the revolving door of the NDP government, want jail, not bail for violent repeat offenders,” he said in a statement.

“A violent offender in prison poses no risk to Manitobans.”

The province will spend $2.9 million on the ankle bracelet program over two years. The government said the contract could be extended.