Superintendent Simon Crick was placed on restricted duties in March following non-criminal misconduct allegations, reports Marco Marcelline

The Metropolitan Police has refused to disclose the allegations that caused Waltham Forest’s top cop to be placed on restricted duties in March.

Detective superintendent Simon Crick is understood to have been placed on restricted duties pending the outcome of an investigation by the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards.

The action was taken following non-criminal allegations that he breached police standards. DCS Crick, who has not been arrested, took over command of Waltham Forest and Newham’s joint force in July 2022. The North East Command Unit is now being led by Superintendent Dan Card.

Last month Sky News reported that DCS Crick was under investigation, but the news organisation was quickly asked by the Met to delete the article because it contained “inaccuracies”.

The Met refused to comment when asked by the Echo what those inaccuracies were.

The investigation into DCS Crick, who has not been arrested, is currently at an “early stage”, the Met said, with the police force adding that it would not be “appropriate to provide any further details”.

In September, it was revealed that 860 Met officers were on restricted duties, as the police force battles a worsening public image crisis in recent years.

Bob Belam, chairman of Walthamstow’s Chapel End ward police scrutiny panel, said he had not received any communication from the local policing team announcing that DCS Crick had been put on restricted duties.

This story is published by Waltham Forest Echo, Waltham Forest's free monthly newspaper and free news website. We are a not-for-profit publication, published by a small social enterprise. We have no rich backers and rely on the support of our readers. Donate or become a supporter.

He told the Echo: “I am a little surprised. I would have expected [the Met] to send an email.”

Bob added that the misconduct allegations were “surprising” given DCS Crick had always appeared professional and proper in his interactions with the public.

A spokesperson for police watchdog Netpol said the Met’s lack of transparency around the allegations was typical of an organisation attempting to protect against any reputational damage. 

“It may well be that there is no truth to the allegations but pretending that silence is the solution is not going to work,” the spokesperson said.

In an April 2023 interview with the Echo, DCS Crick had stressed the importance of the police having open dialogue with residents, saying: “How can I expect people to have trust and confidence in us if we are not communicating what we are doing in an effective way?”

Meanwhile earlier this year, Crick slammed a Waltham Forest officer who was dismissed for inappropriately touching a female colleague, telling the media: “All of my officers are expected to behave with the utmost integrity, both towards the public and towards their colleagues.

“I’m sickened that my officer was assaulted in this way and we are taking steps to ensure her continued welfare. [He] has no place in the Met or policing and has now been rightly dismissed.”

Do you have information that you can share on this story? Please contact us at: [email protected]

No news is bad news 

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts. 

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less. 

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation. 

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit 

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month.  £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.

More information on supporting us monthly or annually 

More Information about donations