Criminals jailed for domestic abuse will be fitted with GPS tags on release from prison as part of a year-long pilot scheme in London.
Around 200 domestic abusers will be monitored in order to enforce probation rules.
The £230,000 project will allow probation staff to intervene if an offender enters any areas from which they are banned, such as a victim's neighbourhood.
Criminals jailed for offences including stalking, harassment and physical abuse will be covered.
The Metropolitan Police recorded a 6% increase in reports of domestic abuse between March and December 2020, compared with the same period in 2019.
The pilot follows a similar scheme in 2019, which saw 430 offenders tagged in a bid to reduce knife crime in London.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “Sadly we have seen a rise in domestic abuse during lockdown and as well as working to protect victims, it’s vitally important we also focus on addressing the behaviour of offenders to drive down this abhorrent crime.
“That is why I am investing in a new pilot programme – the first of its kind in the UK – to specifically tag domestic abuse offenders after their release from prison.”
