West Sussex shoplifter fitted with GPS tag in retail crime pilot
A repeat shoplifter in West Sussex has become the first offender in the county to be fitted with a GPS ankle tag under a retail crime pilot. Daryl Hunt, 30, admitted 13 thefts from Co-op stores in Worthing and is now barred from entering Co-op shops. He was given a suspended sentence, mental health treatment, rehabilitation activity, and a three-year Criminal Behaviour Order.
Daryl Hunt, 30, admitted taking items including cheese, protein bars, laundry detergent, chocolate, burgers and sea bass from a Co-op in South Street, Tarring, between November and March. His sentence included a six-month term suspended, mental health treatment for six months, 30 rehabilitation sessions, and a three-year Criminal Behaviour Order.
The GPS ankle device, made by Buddi, was fitted on 19 August. West Sussex adopted it after an East Sussex trial. Operation Stop uses such tags within Criminal Behaviour Orders to track repeat shoplifters in real time and respond to breaches or tampering.
This measure could affect repeat shoplifters by adding monitoring and restrictions, potentially reducing store losses and staff anxiety. Shoppers and local retailers may benefit if theft declines, though the tag's impact on rehabilitation and mental health needs remains uncertain. It may also raise questions about balancing crime prevention with privacy and support, but as a pilot its wider social effects are not yet clear.