The trial of Brearna Kelsi Sloss, who was an acting sergeant at the time of the alleged thefts, started at the Christchurch District Court on Monday before Judge Tony Zohrab. It is set to take about a week, The Press reported.
Sloss is facing 26 charges - 15 relating to theft by a person in a special relationship and 11 of accessing a computer system for a dishonest purpose.
She was working at the front counter of the Christchurch Central Police Station at the time and oversaw the lost property portfolio, The Press reported.
The thefts allegedly occurred between November 2021 and April 2022. Sloss allegedly stole more than $1700 in smaller amounts ranging between $15 and $350.
She was stood down a month later, The Press reported.
In his opening address to the jury, Crown prosecutor Sunny Teki-Clarke said $6000 was found in a pink purse at Eastgate Mall that Sloss received as lost property.
"This trial is about Ms Sloss stealing or mishandling it, and using the police computer system to achieve that goal," Teki-Clarke said.
Police use the National Intelligence Application and Police Record of Property to track lost property, The Press reported.
When cash is handed in, it is counted and logged in both systems. If it is not claimed within 28 days, the finder can ask to keep it.
"Ms Sloss has received money at the front counter of the Christchurch central police station,” Teki-Clarke said.
Sloss then allegedly moved the cash a number of times, he said.
Sloss also gave contradicting statements and visited an ANZ ATM during work hours. When the money was eventually recounted, $50 was missing.
"Once it has been handed in … she hasn’t properly accounted for it by recording that it has been returned to the owner, given back to the finder or disposed of. [She is] falsely recording. [It is] a deceptive strategy in order to disguise what truly happened, and the fact remains that the money is still unaccounted for," Teki-Clarke said.
Said the prosecutor: "Ms Sloss entered a narrative into NIA that the owner wished to remain anonymous, and no finder details were lodged."
A colleague noticed the discrepancy, The Press reported. The colleague checked the station safe but could not find the money. He also saw the purse on Sloss’ desk in the central station office.
"He found the details that were added were completely inadequate," the prosecutor said.
"He spoke with her and raised his concerns. She said she located the finder who had children but no car, and so she said she was going to deliver it to her after hours.
"The sergeant said that was inappropriate and that the owner should collect it from the station. He then put the money into the safe.
"What follows after that can only be described as a series of suspicious activities."
The prosecutor said witnesses will say the money was not returned to its owner or the person who found it.
Said defence lawyer Chris Lange: "It will be different to how you’ve just been told,” he said.
“Some of the money was found at the police station. It hadn’t been taken.”
