A former UK detective has been jailed for four years and two months after stealing more than £85,000 in seized cash from her own police force.
Michelle “Kirsty” Reason, 54, exploited her role as an exhibits officer in a high-level investigation unit to siphon off cash from a police safe over nearly four years.
In that position, she was among the few with access to a safe that stored hundreds of thousands of pounds. However, after she left the force, the officers noticed the missing money while preparing for an upcoming court case. Soon after, Reason confessed to taking the cash at St Mary’s Wharf Police Station in Derby. She also pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office. Shooter added, “She broke the trust that we as a force put in her – and broke the trust that public puts in officers to conduct themselves in a right and proper way. They are also able to access support and guidance from both their immediate line manager and the wider force.”
“She initially stole £15,000 and told officers that, once she found that nobody had noticed, began taking money on a regular basis until she left the force in December 2025. She appeared at Mansfield Magistrates’ and County Court on November 9 and pleaded guilty to theft . Talking about personal financial struggles faced by those on the force, the department stated, “Officers and staff who find themselves in financial difficulty are duty bound to make that clear to the force, due to the potential risk that this poses to them around being improperly influenced or blackmailed.
Reason took the money while working as a detective constable in a specialist team investigating high-level drug gangs, according to a statement by Derbyshire Police. Reason, according to the police statement, was handed a four-year and two-month jail sentence. Reacting to the incident, Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Michelle Shooter said, “Michelle Reason was placed in a position of trust as a Detective Constable.
