Domestic violence survivors in Alberta will soon have access to a mobile app designed to provide real-time alerts if an offender with an ankle monitor breaches a court-ordered boundary. The provincial government announced the initiative Wednesday as part of an expansion of its electronic monitoring program, aimed at providing a “much needed sense of security” for those at risk. The app, expected to launch this year, syncs with the GPS data from an offender’s ankle monitor. If the offender enters a restricted zone, the survivor is notified immediately on their smartphone. “This isn’t about offenders’ rights,” said Mike Ellis, minister of public safety and emergency services. “It’s about a victim’s right to live without looking over their shoulder.” Funding and accountability The technology is backed by $41 million in funding from Budget 2026, spread over three years. The investment will also increase the capacity of Alberta’s electronic monitoring program for repeat and high-risk offenders. Kim Ruse, CEO of Calgary-based agency FearIsNotLove, said the tool addresses a long-standing gap in the justice system. “It does not eliminate the risk, but it introduces something that has been missing for far too long: a proactive, visible, and immediate layer of accountability,” Ruse said. “It reinforces a clear message that responsibility for safety sits with the person creating the risk.” While the app will provide instant notification, the province clarified that alerts will not automatically trigger a police dispatch. Survivors must still notify law enforcement themselves if they receive an alert. Advocacy For Taylor Matusik, the announcement is a bittersweet victory. Matusik has been advocating for better monitoring since her cousin, Maddison Cobb, was shot to death while leaving work in July. Cobb’s ex-boyfriend, Devon Bradley Malik, has been charged with first-degree murder. Matusik says Cobb had a restraining order against Malik. “Anything that creates real-time accountability and allows for faster intervention ... can be a very critical tool to help save lives,” Matusik said. “For Maddie’s case, that would have definitely helped her for sure.” Prevention Calgary police reported that domestic violence incidents rose 22 per cent last year compared to the five-year average. Lana Wells, founder of Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence, applauds the move but argues there should be an equal investment in prevention and education. “We have to remove the burden off of victims,” Wells said. “We have to be working and engaging men and boys and supporting them to get the skills in which to regulate, to have healthy relationships.” Wells emphasized that environments — including workplaces, religious facilities and schools — need more funding to reinforce healthy relationship dynamics before violence occurs. Building capacity Since January 2025, judges have ordered the tool be used over 560 times, provincial data shows. “There are currently 300 individuals on electronic monitoring, and the funding announced today will expand that capacity for hundreds more individuals because of this demand,” Ellis said. Doug King, a Mount Royal University (MRU) criminal justice professor, thinks electronic monitoring is “generally a good idea, provided it’s approved by the courts.” “It is not up to the government of Alberta to decide exactly who’s put on electronic monitoring. That’s a condition of release either on probation, parole or even bail. It will have to be done through a judicial decision,” King said, noting judges may be more interested in using them now there are more monitors.
