San Francisco Suspends GPS Ankle Monitoring Program

San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto has suspended the GPS ankle monitoring program for defendants awaiting trial, following a federal court ruling that deemed the requirement for warrantless searches unconstitutional. This decision stems from a lawsuit filed by the ACLU, leading U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar to emphasize that such searches violate defendants' rights to privacy. Mayor London Breed and City Attorney David Chiu criticized the ruling, arguing that it undermines public safety and could increase the jail population, as many participants in the program would otherwise remain in the community. Miyamoto expressed disappointment, stating that the ruling disregards the program's value in providing second chances to defendants. The sheriff's office will no longer accept new enrollees but will continue the program for those already participating. Critics argue that the ruling places the sheriff's department in a challenging position regarding community safety.