PCSO pleads guilty to misconduct in public office

Message from Humberside Police:

A former Humberside PCSO has entered guilty pleas to three counts of misconduct in a public office and attempting to pervert the course of justice. 

Simon Smith, 49, appeared at Hull Crown Court today, (Tuesday, 26 April) charged with the offences after he was reported on summons in January this year. He will be sentenced on Friday 6th May.

An internal investigation commenced following information received that Smith had been using his role as a PCSO to repeatedly contact and strike up relationships with women that he encountered as part of his work over a ten-year period.

This resulted in inappropriate sexual relations with women, all of whom he met through being a PCSO, and occurred at times whilst on duty. Smith also attempted to cover up his actions by asking one of the women he was in contact with to not talk to the police.

A criminal investigation was also launched and a referral to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) was made by the force.

The IOPC managed the investigation and a decision was jointly reached that the case should be referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for a charging decision, resulting in the four charges. 

The internal investigation was paused to allow for the criminal investigation to take precedence. Smith resigned from the force last year whilst the latter was still underway.

Once sentencing has taken place, the internal investigation will still continue to a misconduct hearing, to enable a potential outcome of being placed on the College of Policing’s barred list, which means he will never again be able to work for any police force in the country.

Head of Professional Standards, Detective Superintendent Matt Baldwin, said: “As a PCSO, Smith was in a role where the local community trusted him, and he completely abused his position for his own advantage and sexual gain.

“I want to thank the victims in this case for their bravery and courage in supporting the investigation, as without their assistance the result today would not have been possible.

“Smith’s actions were utterly reprehensible and we will absolutely not tolerate, accept or condone this kind of behaviour, that ultimately can undermine the public’s confidence in us as Humberside Police and in policing.

“I would encourage anyone who believes they may have been a victim to this type of offence by a member of a police force, to please report them and be assured they will always be treated sensitively and taken seriously.

“We hold all of our officers and staff to the highest standards of behaviour, with their integrity vital and professionalism crucial in maintaining the trust and confidence of the communities we serve.

“Smith’s devious and repulsive behaviour gravely failed to uphold and maintain the standards both we, and more importantly, the public expect.

“We will always thoroughly investigate any misconduct within the force and I want to make very clear that there are no exceptions.

“We are continually striving to better ourselves and provide excellent policing to our communities, and anyone who fails in their responsibility to serve and protect the public and meet our high expectations, will unreservedly always be held accountable for their actions.”