Thirty individuals who were being electronically monitored through the use of ankle bracelets were able to use foil paper to deactivate the system, Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest confirmed yesterday.
According to Turnquest, the monitoring center first noticed the devices were timing out on November 22, but did not discover the cause until late January.
He said, "Things came to a head on February 10."
The use of the foil paper allowed the monitored suspects to disappear off the monitoring center's radar from the electronic monitoring system.
The government awarded a contract to ICS Security Concepts and SecureAlert for the electronic monitoring of accused offenders in November 2010.
Turnquest said with help from SecureAlert's office in Utah, police were still able to track the men using alternative measures and told Bahamian police how to overcome the foil paper obstacle.
"What should have happened immediately when that happened, was [for the people in the monitoring center] to contact the police control room and send the boys in blue after them," he said.
"Between the monitor center and the police they have taken those persons before the court who breached the conditions of the electronic monitoring. And the majority of them are now back on remand as opposed to being freely monitored."
Turnquest said officers discovered the tactic through good intelligence work.
He said 219 people on bail are being monitored by ankle bracelets.
Turnquest spoke with The Nassau Guardian via telephone phone.  But he originally responded to this issue by calling into the Love 97 program "Issues of the Day".
The revelation that some suspects on bail had used foil paper to bypass the electronic monitoring system was actually made by attorney Keith Bell, a former superintendent of police.  Bell was a guest on the show.
He said the seriousness of this goes as far as a 'monitored' suspect being able to commit murder while his tampered monitor is offline then return to his original position thereby possibly vindicating himself of any wrongdoing.
"This is another example, out of the mouth of the minister no less, of failed policies and procedures of this Free National Movement government, not just to keep the Bahamian people safe but possibly further aiding in the escalation crime," the Progressive Liberal Party said in a statement yesterday.
This is the first major report of individuals tampering with the ankle bracelets since it came on stream last year January.
The government implemented electronic monitoring "to provide a practical and workable solution to improve national responses to crime and criminality, and particularly violent crimes such as murder and armed robbery".
During the launch of the system, Turnquest said, "Our objectives include keeping a close watch on alleged violent offenders that have been granted bail, where the courts decide that we should.
"They also include offering an alternative to imprisonment to persons that have committed minor offenses, also when determined by the courts. Additionally, our objectives include monitoring inmates on the prison work release schemes, and those that are performing community services."
Turnquest said at the time that the electronic monitoring system is, in short, an important element of the government's strategy to halt and reverse crime trends in The Bahamas, to reduce crime and the fear of crime, and to enhance public safety and security."
But with accused violent offenders being released in significant numbers without being electronically monitored, Turnquest previously expressed concern in Parliament that in many instances judges are ignoring the option.

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