Mum finds discarded ankle bracelets on suburban NT lawn

A Karama mother who found two ankle bracelets dumped on her front lawn tells of the ‘creepy’ moment she made the discovery.

A pair of ankle bracelets discovered on a Karama front lawn earlier this month show disdain for sentencing and judicial consequence, a local politician has said.

City of Darwin Waters Ward alderman Brian O’Gallagher said the two ankle bracelets found in Mahogany Street on July 4 represented a lack of enforcement and shine a light on soft bail laws.

The comments come as the first images emerge of the ankle bracelets taken by the Karama woman who discovered them.

The woman, a Karama mum who asked not to be identified because she is a public servant, said the bracelets were on her front lawn when she left her house for work.

“It looks as if they entered my yard to remove them, which creeps me out,” she said.

“I didn’t hear anything and it’s just disturbing there’s at least two people with a criminal history who no longer have their bracelets.”

One of the discarded ankle bracelets.

NT Police have been contacted about whether the absconders were traced, the bracelets reattached and whether a consequence was applied for the alleged offence.

Referred to as electronic monitoring by authorities, the bracelets use global positioning satellite and other technology to monitor offenders and work best when they’re in areas with strong telecommunication capacity.

Probation and parole officers assess offenders to see if they are suitable for electronic monitoring and if a bracelet is tampered with or removed, undertake additional assessments to see if an offender is suitable for electronic monitoring.

Another of the ankle bracelets left behind. Picture: Supplied

If an offender tampers with the equipment or removes the bracelet, a probation and parole officer will decide what to do. If this involves a consequence the offender may be forced to return to court.

It’s not clear what was used to remove the bracelets, which are secured by a solid plastic clip but a serial number for one of the bracelets is clearly visible in the image.

Mr O’Gallagher said he wants laws and sentencing outcomes that put the focus on offenders and match community standards.

“This relates to lack of enforcement and soft bail laws and to how you get the best outcomes in terms of reflecting community safety,” he said.

“The big thing in Karama and Malak at the moment is the community feels unsafe going to the shopping centre, unsafe walking along streets and it certainly feels unsafe at night time because of the anti-social behaviour disturbing the peace.”

The NT News recently reported concerns raised by a Karama woman who spoke of shared safety fears held by residents who live near the shopping centre.