YP Comment: Now to police accountability as Hillsborough chief constable suspended

Given the ruling’s ramifications, and the extent to which this force hindered the whole inquiry process, it was inevitable that David Crompton, the chief constable of this beleaguered force, would – at the very least – be suspended after MPs said his discredited position was “untenable”. Even though he had already signalled his intention to retire later this year, he’s unlikely to be the last casualty – the inquest has given fresh impetus to the pursuit of the truth and need for the police to be totally transparent over past and present shortcomings.

In the hours leading up to Mr Crompton’s suspension, this was self-evident in Parliament when the Home Secretary Theresa May’s statement, a speech brimming with gravitas and empathy, laid out the seriousness of the criminal charges being considered 27 years after the country’s worst ever sporting disaster. They include “gross negligence manslaughter, misconduct in public office, perverting the course of justice and perjury, as well as offences under the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974”.

Understandably, the Crown Prosecution Service’s decision cannot come soon enough for the betrayed families. Their simmering anger was illustrated by the passionate speech made by Andy Burnham, a North West MP and Mrs May’s opposite number, as he demanded accountability for the negligent police failings on the day and the unforgivable cover-up that followed.

He also made one telling point which will resonate widely. Irrespective of the decision on criminal charges, he says all retired officers should no longer be exempt from disciplinary processes if some public confidence is to be regained. Even though they can now be held accountable for up to one year after hanging up their uniforms as a result of reforms introduced by the current Home Secretary, Mr Burnham wants this principle extended.

Though most people will concur, Mr Burnham also knows that the law normally prevents such rulings from being introduced retrospectively – a further example of the looming conflict of interest between the emotional wishes of the Hillsborough families and the practical application of a legal system which suppressed the truth for so long. In this regard, it is very welcome that James Jones, the former Bishop of Liverpool, will continue to play a key role in advising Mrs May, liaising with the victims and ensuring that lessons are learned from their mistreatment in order to lessen the likelihood of future injustices.

However Mrs May should have gone further when she announced measures to assist the victims through the next phase of the judicial process. Even though South Yorkshire Police is under fire on all fronts, the Government should underwrite the constabulary’s escalating costs as it comes to terms with not just Hillsborough, but also the Orgreave and Rotherham scandals.

This will not be universally popular – not least because this force betrayed the families of The 96 for an inexcusable length of time. Yet, unless the Government acts, it is South Yorkshire residents who will see their police numbers cut, and council tax bills increased, through no fault of their own. Not only would this be another injustice to compound all those that have occurred since Hillsborough unfolded on April 15, 1989, but it would also hinder efforts by today’s new generation of police officers to win back a fraction of the trust shattered to smithereens by their predecessors in a constabulary now bereft of leadership and credibility at this critical time.