Sussex secures first court orders in ground-breaking tagging pilot targeting prolific shoplifters

For the first time ever in the UK, shoplifters will be electronically tagged after Sussex Police successfully secured two Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBOs) following shop theft convictions.

In a pioneering pilot scheme to tackle persistent shoplifting led by Sussex PCC Katy Bourne, the first CBO was granted at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on 19 September 2025. This includes an exclusion zone around the location of the offences (Co-op, Albert Parade, Eastbourne) and requires the convicted shop thief to wear a GPS tag for 12-months.

A second CBO with a 12-month tagging condition was agreed at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on 1 October 2025. The offender was sentenced to seven months in custody. The 12-month tagging period, which will include an exclusion zone around Co-op in Parkstone Parade, Hastings, will start upon his release.

The pilot tagging project – Operation STOP (Shop Theft Offender Pilot) – is currently being trialled in East Sussex. The initiative is led by the Office of the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Katy Bourne, in partnership with Sussex Police, His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), and Probation services. It aims to reduce reoffending and aid rehabilitation through real-time monitoring and, over time, the provision of tailored support.