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After its response to Hillsborough, is South Yorkshire police worth saving? After Hillsborough, is South Yorkshire police force worth saving?
(35 minutes later)
South Yorkshire police now lies battered and leaderless after the fallout from this week’s Hillsborough judgments. Its chief constable is suspended and not expected to return, it faces calls for its abolition, and its name is fast becoming a byword for failings in the police and British public life. South Yorkshire police now lies battered and leaderless after the fallout from this week’s Hillsborough inquest findings. Its chief constable has been suspended and is not expected to return, it faces calls for its abolition, and its name is fast becoming a byword for failings in the police and British public life.
Can it be saved, or are its reputation and its culture so poor that it may as well be consigned to history? Can it be saved, or are its reputation and culture so poor that it may as well be consigned to history?
The catastrophic damage has been caused not just by Hillsborough, but by deep concerns over its conduct in 1984, fighting striking miners at Orgreave and allegedly lying about it, and blunders – again historical – over sexual abuse in Rotherham. Also recently it was criticised over its handling of claims of sexual misconduct by the singer Cliff Richard, which he denies, relating to the way it passed information to the BBC. The catastrophic damage has been caused not just by Hillsborough, but by deep concerns over its conduct in 1984, when officers fought with striking miners at Orgreave and allegedly lied about it, and blunders – again historical – over child sexual abuse in Rotherham. It was also recently criticised over its handling of claims of sexual misconduct by the singer Cliff Richard, which he denies, relating to the way it passed information to the BBC.
“It is the combination of Orgreave, Rotherham, and the massive emotion around Hillsborough that meant there was too much baggage for the plane to take off,” Sir Peter Fahy, the recently retired chief constable of Greater Manchester police, told the Guardian.“It is the combination of Orgreave, Rotherham, and the massive emotion around Hillsborough that meant there was too much baggage for the plane to take off,” Sir Peter Fahy, the recently retired chief constable of Greater Manchester police, told the Guardian.
South Yorkshire police now faces severe levels of political scrutiny and pressure, on a scale no force other than the Met in London has had to endure. It has so far appeared unable to cope, and significant amounts of the pain are self-inflicted. South Yorkshire police now faces severe levels of political scrutiny and pressure, on a scale that no other force has had to endure, apart from the Met in London. It has so far appeared unable to cope, and significant amounts of the pain are self inflicted.
It is the culture of the force that source after source mentions time and again. One former senior figure who advised its leadership found it to be naïve for a big city force, conducting itself in a way a small constabulary might have 20 or 30 years ago. It is the culture of the force that source after source mentions time and again. One former senior figure who advised its leadership found it to be naive for a big city force, conducting itself in a way a small constabulary might have done 20 or 30 years ago.
This senior and experienced figure described the force’s culture as too slow to admit mistakes and thought there was room for greater professionalism. This figure described the force’s culture as being too slow to admit mistakes and thought there was room for greater professionalism.
Fahy concurs: “It is about the past and an ingrained culture, of institutional defensiveness and difficulty in admitting failings, and trying to blame others.”Fahy concurs: “It is about the past and an ingrained culture, of institutional defensiveness and difficulty in admitting failings, and trying to blame others.”
All these problems have been evident in recent events. In the Cliff Richard case, South Yorkshire police tried to blame someone else, namely the Met, for a leak – a claim now seen as unfounded. All these problems have been evident in recent events. In the Richard case, South Yorkshire police tried to blame the Met for a leak – a claim now seen as unfounded.
South Yorkshire police has 5,025 staff, made up of 2,515 police officers, and 227 community support officers. The rest are civilian staff. It covers Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley and Doncaster and the surrounding areas – an area once rich with heavy industry and mining that now faces recession and decline. The force has 5,025 staff, including 2,515 police officers and 227 community support officers. The rest are civilian staff. It covers Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Doncaster and the surrounding areas – a region once rich with heavy industry and mining that now faces recession and decline.
For now the task of reform falls on police and crime commissioner Dr Alan Billings – a priest by training. He will need the patience of the clergy and the luck of the devil – and to win an election for his post next Thursday. For now, the task of reform falls on the police and crime commissioner Alan Billings. A priest by training, Billings will need the patience of the clergy and the luck of the devil – and to win the election for his post next Thursday.
The departure of David Crompton as chief constable – he was due to retire in November – coupled with other planned retirements means the entire top team will be on its way out within months.The departure of David Crompton as chief constable – he was due to retire in November – coupled with other planned retirements means the entire top team will be on its way out within months.
Billings has said: “I want to work with the force, the home secretary and national policing bodies to continue to develop the qualities and culture within the force that will rebuild trust and confidence.Billings has said: “I want to work with the force, the home secretary and national policing bodies to continue to develop the qualities and culture within the force that will rebuild trust and confidence.
“All this means that in the coming months South Yorkshire police will have a new leadership team who will be able to provide a fresh start and tackle the challenges that lie ahead.”“All this means that in the coming months South Yorkshire police will have a new leadership team who will be able to provide a fresh start and tackle the challenges that lie ahead.”
The Home Office is understood to be waiting to see how the various investigations spawned by Hillsborough go, and is wary of abolishing the force. Therefore, in the first instance, it will be given a chance to show it can improve before any consideration is given to merging it with neighbouring forces, such as West Yorkshire, which has its own troubles. The Home Office is understood to be waiting for the outcome of the various investigations sparked by Hillsborough, and is wary of abolishing the force. Therefore, in the first instance, it will be given a chance to show it can improve before any consideration is given to merging it with neighbouring forces, such as West Yorkshire, which has its own troubles.
According to official data from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, South Yorkshire’s performance dealing with crime is broadly positive. It requires improvement in some areas, but there again, so does the Met’s – and its chief, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, just got his contract extended for a year. According to official data from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, South Yorkshire’s performance in dealing with crime is broadly positive. It requires improvement in some areas, but there again, so does the Met’s – and its chief, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, just got his contract extended for a year.
Going forward, Fahy says options such as “special measures” – last faced at the turn of the decade by neighbouring Nottinghamshire police – may not be an option. Then the issue was falling short of crime-fighting targets, which is not an issue now. Fahy, when he became chief of Greater Manchester police, himself inherited a force that was sinking fast: “The challenge is the weight of these [historical] cases and how you lift morale. They will need to look at the press and legal departments as they are giving bad advice. It faces the weight of history and continuing investigations for two to three years.” Fahy says options such as “special measures” – last faced at the turn of the decade by neighbouring Nottinghamshire police – may not be an option. Then, the issue was around a force falling short of crime-fighting targets, which is not the problem now.
The police strategy at the inquest – seemingly questioning the behaviour of fans and reheating disproven smears – was Crompton’s downfall. When he became chief of Greater Manchester police, Fahy himself inherited a force that was sinking fast. Of South Yorkshire he says: “The challenge is the weight of these [historical] cases and how you lift morale. They will need to look at the press and legal departments as they are giving bad advice. It faces the weight of history and continuing investigations for two to three years.”
Fahy says: “As chief you have people within the organisation saying you can’t admit this, and lawyers, and insurance companies saying you can’t admit this or it will invalidate your insurance.” But the suspicion was that Crompton wanted an adversarial approach, as shown by emails which came to light in 2013 claiming Hillsborough families were being untruthful. Crompton, barely a year into post, wrote: “One thing is certain – the Hillsborough Campaign for Justice will be doing their version … in fact their version of certain events has become ‘the truth’ even though it isn’t!! The police strategy at the inquest, seemingly questioning the behaviour of fans and reheating disproven smears, was Crompton’s downfall.
Fahy says: “As chief, you have people within the organisation saying you can’t admit this, and lawyers and insurance companies saying you can’t admit this or it will invalidate your insurance.”
But the suspicion was that Crompton wanted an adversarial approach, as shown by emails which came to light in 2013 claiming Hillsborough families were being untruthful. Barely a year into post, Crompton wrote: “One thing is certain – the Hillsborough Campaign for Justice will be doing their version … in fact their version of certain events has become ‘the truth’ even though it isn’t!!
“… we need to be a bit more innovative in our response to have a fighting chance otherwise we will just be roadkill.”“… we need to be a bit more innovative in our response to have a fighting chance otherwise we will just be roadkill.”
Crompton, in the end, was not innovative enough. The new leadership, under acting chief Dawn Copley, will have to wrestle with the sins of the past. In Hillsborough the force’s leadership could have sidestepped the intense battle. Instead, through their tactics, they put themselves right in the centre of a storm, on the wrong side of the facts and of decency. Crompton, in the end, was not innovative enough. The new leadership, under acting chief Dawn Copley, will have to wrestle with the sins of the past. In the Hillsborough case, the force’s leadership could have sidestepped the intense battle. Instead, their tactics put them in the centre of a storm and on the wrong side of the facts and decency.
Going forward, greater humility, awareness and openness should assist the leadership of South Yorkshire police in gaining what they have lacked most: judgment. In future, greater humility, awareness and openness should assist the leadership of South Yorkshire police in gaining what they have lacked most: judgment.