Ex-Dorset Police staff member jailed for stealing cash from evidence bags
52 year old Lisa Arnold took £15,000 from the force
A former member of Dorset Police staff has been jailed for two years for stealing £15,000 in cash from evidence bags.
52 year old Lisa Arnold, of Benlease Way in Swanage, admitted to the offence at a previous hearing and has now been sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court.
Concerns were raised about an exhibit bag having been tampered with back in June 2020.
Further incidents were reported where cash had not been counted for evidential reasons, with an internal audit also finding tampered items.
Arnold was arrested in March 2022, with the money found during a search of her home.
Following her arrest, she was immediately suspended from work and formally resigned from Dorset Police in May 2022.
Deputy Chief Constable Sam de Reya said:
“I hope that this investigation demonstrates that we will robustly investigate suspected wrongdoing by members of our organisation and undertake swift action.
“Our officers and members of staff are expected to execute their duties with integrity. On this occasion a staff member has fallen short of those standards and been found guilty of a criminal offence. We will pursue and deal with those who seek to undermine the trust that is placed in us by the public and let down colleagues and the police service.”