Neuchâtel to use ankle monitors in domestic violence cases

Neuchâtel will begin using five electronic ankle monitors on November 1 to track people considered at risk of reoffending in domestic violence cases, SRF reported. The GPS devices allow police to follow a wearer’s movements in real time and detect when they enter a prohibited zone.

During a police exercise in La Chaux-de-Fonds, officers received an alarm after a simulated offender breached a restriction zone. Their first priority was to check that the protected person was safe. They then searched for and arrested the monitor wearer, following instructions from police dispatch.

In the exercise scenario, a prosecutor ordered active monitoring while a man was in police custody following violence against his ex-wife. He was barred from coming within six kilometres of her home. If he entered the zone, police would first contact him by phone. If he did not respond or leave immediately, a patrol would be sent.

Neuchâtel police chief Simon Baechler said the monitors could help officers in situations where they previously had little information about a threatening person’s movements. He said the technology allows active, precise and localised monitoring in real time.

Twenty-four cantons belong to the Electronic Monitoring association, which says nearly half plan to test ankle monitors for tracking people convicted of sexual offences from 2027. Zurich ran a pilot project in 2024 and found the monitoring worked, but its impact remained limited without a nationwide system. The canton did not continue it permanently.