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A former Tucson police detective who admitted to making copies of prescriptions to illegally obtain painkillers has voluntarily given up her state peace officer certification.

The relinquishment is not an admission of guilt, said the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training board. But it does mean Della Faye Dietsch cannot work as a peace officer in Arizona.

Dietsch, 49, had worked for the Tucson Police Department for 17 years when she was arrested on two counts of unlawful possession of a narcotic drug.

This week in Pima County Superior Court, Judge Stephen C. Villarreal sentenced Dietsch to 18 months of supervised probation and ordered her to complete 360 hours of community service.

Dietsch pleaded guilty on Sept. 13 to solicitation to unlawfully possess a narcotic drug. If she successfully completes her probation and community service, her offense could be designated as a misdemeanor.

Authorities say Dietsch used duplicate and original prescriptions to obtain 440 pills, which included Percocet and Vicodin, in May and June. The investigation began on June 26 when a pharmacy worker noticed a recent Percocet prescription had been filled with a copy of the prescription rather than the original, authorities said at the time.

The worker then noticed a second copied prescription for Vicodin written for Dietsch on May 7. She contacted another pharmacy, which had a similar Vicodin prescription also dated May 7.

Oro Valley police were given Dietsch's patient profile, and investigators found four suspicious prescriptions.

Dietsch told detectives that she knew it was wrong but she suffered from severe back pain, and it was often difficult reaching doctors for refills, police said.

On July 27, a grand jury indicted Dietsch on two counts of fraudulently obtaining or procuring the narcotics hydrocodone and oxycodone.

On July 31, Dietsch retired.