Winnipeg commercial break-ins blamed on 2 men wearing ankle monitors

After two men accused of breaking and entering and stealing around $140,000 worth of items around Winnipeg and Headingley were detained Tuesday, both of whom were wearing court-ordered electronic monitoring bracelets, the effectiveness of such monitors is in question, experts say.

“There’s no guarantee that anyone will not re-offend. There’s no guarantee that the police or corrections agents will roar off as soon as someone violates,” said Michael Weinrath, a University of Winnipeg Criminal Justice professor.

Monitoring devices are equipped with a GPS system, allowing law enforcement to be notified of an offender’s location in real time and issue alerts if they enter a prohibited area, according to the province.

The province has previously said 60 per cent of individuals with ankle monitors were rearrested and breached in October 2025.

There are 194 ankle monitors in use, a provincial spokesperson said on Tuesday.