Police chief Bernadette DiPino of Sarasota Police Department in Florida alleged that various items had been stolen from her handbag while she was in a meeting.

Detectives launched an investigation which saw them interview 14 members of staff at the station, review security video footage and retrieve fingerprints from the scene.

DiPino reported that two blank cheques had been removed from her chequebook as well as Starbucks gift cards worth $75.

Bizarrely, a $100 dollar bill was left untouched.

The Herald-Tribune reported that all leads were exhausted in the investigation, and the case was classified as “inactivated pending further information”.