Widespread changes promised in national police response to Hillsborough disaster report

The College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) have apologised to the families of Hillsborough victims as part of the national police response to a report by the Rt Revd James Jones KBE on the lessons from the Hillsborough stadium disaster.

The 2017 paper, The Patronising Disposition of Unaccountable Power, made 25 recommendations – with 11 of them directly concerning policing.

Ninety-seven football fans died as a result of a crush at a match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest on April 15 1989.

They were unlawfully killed amid a number of police errors, an inquest jury ruled in 2016.

The report recommended action from public bodies and government to ensure the “pain and suffering” of the Hillsborough families could not be repeated. Following its publication in November 2017, the national police response has now be made public after the culmination of legal proceedings and other matters.

The NPCC said its report on the national policing response is a “commitment to avoid the failures” made during and after the Hillsborough disaster by embedding strong ethical values in the service and ensuring there is “humanity and humility” in the police response to public tragedy.

Chief Constable Andy Marsh, College of Policing chief executive officer, said: “Policing has profoundly failed those bereaved by the Hillsborough disaster over many years and we are sorry that the service got it so wrong.

“Police failures were the main cause of the tragedy and have continued to blight the lives of family members ever since.

“When leadership was most needed, the bereaved were often treated insensitively and the response lacked coordination and oversight.

“Today’s report explains long-term, and more recent, developments in how the police responds to mass fatality incidents. Hillsborough is a touchstone for long-lasting change in policing and there is a commitment from the leadership in policing to create a modern, dynamic police service which acts without fear or favour, and with integrity and empathy.

“The changes include all police forces in England and Wales signing up to a charter agreeing to acknowledge when mistakes have been made and not seek to defend the indefensible; a strengthened ethical policy which makes candour a key theme; and new guidance for specialist officers supporting families during a tragedy which learnt lessons from the Hillsborough Families Report, the Grenfell Tower tragedy and the 2017 terrorist attacks.

“I would like to sincerely thank the former Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Revd James Jones, for his dedication and insight which continues to support the police service in undergoing essential reform.”

Mr Marsh added the Hillsborough Families report is now included in training for new recruits entering policing through the College of Policing’s updated routes, as well as the importance of transparency and being candid when things go wrong.

Police reforms in response to the Rt Revd James Jones report include:

• All police forces in England and Wales have signed up to a Charter for Families Bereaved Through Public Tragedy which sets out that police organisations must acknowledge when mistakes have been made and must not seek to defend the indefensible;

• The College of Policing and NPCC have agreed the content of a new code of practice on police information and records management to prevent the problems faced after the Hillsborough disaster when records were lost or destroyed. This has been submitted to the Home Office for ministerial approval, following which it can be laid before Parliament in accordance with the Police Act 1996;

• The College of Policing’s Code of Ethics – applicable to everyone working in policing – will be revised this year and candour will be a key theme;

• There will be a supporting code of practice, that chief officers must have regard to, which will state that “chief officers have a responsibility to ensure openness and candour within their force”; and

• New national guidance for family liaison officers has been issued, incorporating learning from the Hillsborough Families report, the Grenfell Tower tragedy and the 2017 terrorist attacks.

The College of Policing released updated disaster victim identification Authorised Professional Practice in August 2018 in direct response to the report, including an explicit statement that the terms “belonging to” or “property of the coroner” should not be used in future disasters.

NPCC chair, Martin Hewitt, said: “As police officers, we come to work to keep the public safe and as a service, we failed to do this at Hillsborough.

“I am deeply sorry for the tragic loss of life, and for the pain and suffering that the families of the 97 victims experienced on that day and in the many years that have followed.

“Collectively, the changes made since the Hillsborough disaster and in response to Rt Reverend James Jones’ report aim to ensure the terrible police failures made on the day and in the aftermath can never happen again.

“Police chiefs today are committed to responding to major incidents with openness and with compassion for the families involved. All police forces in England and Wales are signed up to the Charter for Families Bereaved through Public Tragedy. In signing this, they committed to putting the interests of victims and families above any other interest and acting with candour at every turn.”

Merseyside’s police and crime commissioner Emily Spurrell said: “The Hillsborough families have suffered unimaginable heartache for many years due to the profound failings of policing.

“Nothing and no one can undo their suffering.

“But it is only right that those failings are openly acknowledged, and that policing publicly commits to taking every possible action to make sure no other families are forced to endure the injustice they have experienced.

“Much has changed in policing in recent years and, as this report sets out, a huge amount of work has been undertaken to address the points of learning set out by the Rt Revd James Jones to ensure no other families are so badly let down.

“This report demonstrates that commitment from the very top ranks of policing and on behalf of all forces nationally and recognises that, as the Manchester Arena attack has demonstrated, there can be no room for complacency.

“As police leaders, we must strive to increase accountability and transparency within our justice system and enhance the support for victims of crime, especially those left bereft by public disasters, wherever possible.

“Care, compassion, openness, transparency and accountability are values which should be embedded in every layer of policing, criminal justice and government.

“That’s why I continue to support calls for the Government to bring forward a Hillsborough Law now to rebalance the scales of justice and ensure these principles are enshrined throughout our system.”

Dr Alan Billings, South Yorkshire police and crime commissioner, commented: “I welcome both the report and the fact that South Yorkshire Police, the College of Policing and the NPCC have each accepted it and the recommendations.

“In particular, I welcome the Bishop’s emphasis on the need for a legal duty of candour by all public bodies.

“The Labour Party is already committed to support a Hillsborough Law which would give bereaved families the right to legal representation – something the Hillsborough families never had – and I welcome that.

“It has been five years since the report was published and ongoing legal processes have prevented public comment. This must feel like yet another delay in the quest for justice for the families. However, I would like to reassure them that during that time progress has been made in responding to the Bishop’s report in South Yorkshire.

“The force is committed to delivering the learning points and I will continue to seek assurance that the recommendations are being implemented.

“I want to see an absolute end to what the Bishop summed up as ‘the patronising disposition of unaccountable power’.”