Natasha Conneely was working as part of the offender management unit at Bedfordshire Police in May 2023 when it was discovered she had started a relationship with a known burglar, the force said.
Bedfordshire Police said its Professional Standards Department investigated and found messages between the pair, and that Conneely had removed the offender’s electronic tag in April so he could visit her home without being traced.
Bedfordshire Police said Conneely resigned from the force and a November 2023 tribunal found her behaviour amounted to gross misconduct and ruled she would have been dismissed had she not already quit.
“Becoming involved in a sexual relationship with such an offender was totally inappropriate and her actions to allow them to spend time together undetected were entirely selfish and had real potential to leave the offender free to further offend with no safeguards in place.
Chief Constable Trevor Rodenhurst said: “Natasha Conneely was part of a team responsible for the monitoring and management of offenders who are in our community.
