Radical new public protection arrangements are set to give the authorities power to impose restrictions on the movements and behaviour of potentially dangerous violent offenders before they even commit a crime, the Belfast Telegraph can reveal today.

The first stage of these measures are expected to come into force within the next few weeks when, from October 1, anyone questioned by police with a view to prosecute for suspected violence against a child or vulnerable adult could be subject to risk management arrangements to monitor their behaviour and if necessary intervene in their life in order to minimise the risk of serious harm to others.

These arrangements could include participation in a cognitive-behavioural programme to address the causes of offending, or restrictions such as a ban on drinking alcohol or visiting licensed premises, or —in the most extreme cases — home curfew or electronic tagging.

By October 2010 the remit is to be rolled out to include a person interviewed by police for a suspected domestic violence incident.

The following year it will include anyone interviewed by the PSNI with a view for prosecution for an alleged violent hate crime.

It has been recommended by Secretary of State Shaun Woodward that the arrangements be developed in the future to also include anyone identified by social services or a mental health and learning disability service provider as being potentially dangerous.

Members of the public will also be able to raise concern about an individual who they believe poses a potential risk of harm.

As these arrangements could include someone who has not yet been convicted of a violent crime draft guidance in a consultation document published by the NIO on Public Protection Arrangements Northern Ireland states that account will have to be taken in each case of whether actions are “necessary and proportionate” and whether “any infringement on the human rights of the individual concerned is justifiable for the protection of life or the prevention and detection of crime.”

Measures are already available to help monitor and manage the risk of sex offenders living in the community. Under the proposed new public protection arrangements however, violent offenders and potentially dangerous violent persons will now also be subject to multi-agency risk assessment and risk management.

In terms of public protection the powers have been described as “probably the most impactive piece of legislation there has ever been” by William McAuley, co-ordinator of MASRAM (Multi-Agency Sex Offender Risk Assessment Management) — which is soon to become PPANI (Public Protection Arrangements Northern Ireland).

Currently MASRAM is managing the risk of 796 sex offenders living in the community. Over 100 prisoners convicted of sex offences are within the MASRAM system. Extending the public protection remit to include violent offenders and potentially dangerous violent persons will see an increase in the numbers being monitored.

“There is a great need for public protection and we are very pleased with the measures being made available to us,” said Mr McAuley. “(Under the new arrangements) I am not expecting a big tsunami in terms of violent offenders and sex offenders.”

Dangerous sex and violent offenders will now no longer be entitled to walk free half way through their sentence but will have to prove they have reduced their risk of re-offending before they can be freed.