South Yorkshire Police

South Yorkshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing South Yorkshire in England. The Chief Constable of the force since July 2016 is Stephen Watson.

South Yorkshire Police
AbbreviationSYP
MottoJustice with courage
Agency overview
Formed1974
Preceding agencies
Annual budget£251 million (2012–13)
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictioncounty of South Yorkshire (i.e. the metropolitan districts of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield), England
Map of South Yorkshire Police's jurisdiction.
Size1,554 km²
Population1.28 million
Governing bodyHome Office
General nature
Operational structure
HeadquartersCarbrook House, 5 Carbrook Hall Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S9 2EH
Sworn members2710 (As of August 2013)
Unsworn members2218 (As of August 2013)
South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner responsible
Agency executives
  • Stephen Watson, Chief Constable
  • Mark Roberts, Deputy Chief Constable
  • Tim Forber, Assistant Chief Constable
  • Lauren Poultney, Assistant Chief Constable
  • Dave Hartley, Assistant Chief Constable
  • Nigel Hiller, Director of Finance
Districts
Facilities
Stations24
Custody Suites3
Vehicle Fleets500 +
Dogs15
Horses9
Website
www.southyorks.police.uk

Oversight of the force is conducted by the Police and Crime Commissioner, Alan Billings, a former Anglican priest and Deputy Leader of Sheffield City Council who was elected at a by-election on 30 October 2014, to replace Shaun Wright, the incumbent who resigned in the wake of the Rotherham child sexual exploitation controversy.

The force's roads policing unit and its helicopter, Sierra Yankee 99, have been a feature in three television series: Traffic Cops, Sky Cops and Police Interceptors. The helicopter unit was subsequently taken over by NPAS, and closed down. The aircraft was decommissioned and sold to another country along with the rest of the MD902 fleet from forces across the country

Police area

The police force covers an area of approximately 600 square miles (approx. 1,554 square kilometres) which is made up of the county's three boroughs (Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham) along with the City of Sheffield. The resident population is 1.2 million. In terms of officer numbers the force is the thirteenth largest of the forces of the United Kingdom. Conversely, it is the 7th smallest territorial police force in terms of geographic area of responsibility.

The force is divided into four basic command units (BCUs):

Force Headquarters is at Carbrook House, in Tinsley, Sheffield, following a move from Snig Hill Police Station in early 2013. This move saw the Senior Command Team and other services (such as firearms licensing) move into one location. This was funded by the sale of out-dated buildings, including West Bar Police Station, and the future sale of vacated properties.[1]

Management

The Chief Constable is Stephen Watson who replaced DCC Dawn Copley who stood down a day after assuming the post due to 'her conduct at a previous force being investigated'.[2] She had assumed the post after David Crompton was suspended regarding comments made about the Hillsborough disaster.[3] The Chief Constable is assisted by ACC Jo Byrne and Temporary ACC Rachel Barber.[3] Nigel Hiller is the Director of Finance.

The South Yorkshire Special Constabulary is headed by Chief Officer Stephen Merrett. He is assisted by Deputy Chief Officer Craig Batham.

Governance

South Yorkshire Police is governed by the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner.[4] The election took place on 15 November 2012, the same day as 40 other elections for the respective Police and Crime Commissioners (the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police having other elected officials acting as Commissioner). His deputy, Tracey Cheetham, was confirmed by the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel in January 2013.[5] This is a salaried position, which is coming under scrutiny by local press.[6]

South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner election, 2012 [7]
Party Candidate 1st round 2nd round
 First round votes  Transfer votes 
Total Of round Transfers Total Of round
Labour Shaun Wright 74,615 51.35%
​​
English Democrat David Allen 22,608 15.56%
​​
Conservative Nigel Bonson 21,075 14.51%
​​
UKIP Jonathan Arnott 16,773 11.54%
​​
Liberal Democrats Robert Teal 10,223 7.04%
​​
Turnout 145,294 14.53%
Rejected ballots
Total votes
Registered electors 1,000,015
Labour win

Before November 2012 police governance was undertaken by the South Yorkshire Police Authority, made up of elected councillors from the four metropolitan boroughs.

History

The force was formed in 1974, as a merger of the previous Sheffield and Rotherham Constabulary along with part of the West Yorkshire Constabulary area (which Barnsley Borough Police and Doncaster Borough Police had been merged into on 1 October 1968).

During the miners strike of 1984 officers from South Yorkshire attacked striking miners then arrested 95 on the charge of rioting. It was found the Police Force had fabricated evidence, carried out false arrest and assaulted miners. No police officer has ever been disciplined or accepted responsibility for their actions.[8] Ex officer Tony Munday has called for an inquiry into how South Yorkshire Police handled the aftermath of the Battle of Orgreave claiming he was told what to put in his statement "by a senior South Yorkshire detective" after he arrested a miner during the Orgreave confrontation. "I've never before or since, while I've been a police officer, been involved where effectively chunks of a statement were dictated. They weren't my words,"[9]

The force was condemned by Prime Minister David Cameron in September 2012 for their dishonesty and gross negligence in their handling of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, which led to an apology from the then Chief Constable David Crompton.[10] The Hillsborough Independent Panel had exposed the way in which the force had attempted to divert blame from their own mishandling of the tragedy by feeding false information to the media and altering statements given by their own officers. In June 2013, UK newspaper The Guardian reported on emails sent by Crompton in which he had suggested that the families of fans killed at the Hillsborough disaster had been untruthful. In one, Crompton had written: "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!! I just have the feeling that the media 'machine' favours the families and not us, so we need to be a bit more innovative in our response to have a fighting chance otherwise we will just be roadkill."[11]

The force's judgement has been called into question over a number of incidents involving the sexual abuse of minors in Rotherham, where prosecutions were not undertaken.[12]

In July 2014 South Yorkshire Police came under scrutiny once again following a much criticized filmed raid on the home of Sir Cliff Richard. No charges resulted but South Yorkshire police agreed to pay Sir Cliff £400,000 to settle a claim he brought against the force.

On 27 April 2016, it was reported that the force's Chief Constable David Crompton was to be suspended following statements made by South Yorkshire Police after the verdict of the jury in the second Hillsborough disaster inquest.[13] He was temporarily replaced by Deputy Chief Constable Dawn Copley, but the following day it was announced that she herself would be stepping down "in the interests of the force and the workforce" after an investigation into her conduct whilst serving as Assistant Chief Constable at Greater Manchester Police was reported.[14]

On 10 May 2016 it was reported that two serving police officers, a pilot serving with the National Police Air Service and two retired police officers who crewed the South Yorkshire Police helicopter were to stand trial accused of misusing the camera on the SY Police helicopter to film people who were naked or having sex. Four of the men denied charges of misconduct in a public office and were due to stand trial at Sheffield Crown Court on 17 July 2017. A fifth man did not appear at the hearing.[15][16] All of the men apart from the 5th were found not guilty of any offence by a jury. The 5th had previously admitted four charges of misconduct in a public office.[17]

In January 2020, the Independent Office for Police Conduct found that South Yorkshire Police had taken insufficient action to protect from harm a child, who had been sexually abused and exploited by Asian men for several years from 2003 onwards. An unnamed chief inspector had told the investigation that the force had been aware of similar abuse for 30 years but had ignored it for fear of increasing racial tensions.[18][19]

Chief Constables
Chief Constables of South Yorkshire Police
Period of AppointmentName
1974–1979 Sir Richard Barratt, CBE, QPM
1979–1983 James Hilton Brownlow CBE QPM[20]
1983–1990 Peter Wright CBE[21]
1990–1998 Richard Wells
1998–2004 Mike Hedges
2004–2011 Meredydd Hughes CBE QPM
2011–2012 Robert Dyson QPM (temporary)[22]
2012–2016 David Crompton[23][24]
2016– Stephen Watson

Roll of Honour

This table sorts names alphabetically by default. The Roll of Honour is a list of all sworn police officers who have died whilst on duty. The Roll of Honour is provided by the national police charity, the Police Roll of Honour Trust.[25]

NameRankOrganisationDateCause of death
Alfred Austwick09Police ConstableWest Riding of Yorkshire Constabulary1886-08-01(1886-08-01)1 August 1886 (aged 30)Shot and fatally wounded by a man he had warned about his conduct
William Beardshaw09Police ConstableSheffield Borough Police1855-07-23(1855-07-23)23 July 1855 (aged 26)Struck on head by a stone during a street disturbance and died next day
Arthur Tyler Bull10Special ConstableRotherham Borough Police1916-10-02(1916-10-02)2 October 1916 (aged 46)Collapsed of heart failure while on duty in the early hours
Archie Cornish07InspectorSheffield Police Fire Brigade1931-02-18(1931-02-18)18 February 1931 (aged 47)Burns sustained fighting a fire at a hospital in November 1930
Sandra Jane Edwards09Woman Police ConstableSouth Yorkshire Police1995-05-10(1995-05-10)10 May 1995 (aged 28)Traffic car crashed while pursuing a stolen car
Dave Fields09Police ConstableSouth Yorkshire Police2017-12-25(2017-12-25)25 December 2017 (aged 45)Traffic car crashed while responding to an incident
Samuel Pidd Gibson09Police ConstableSheffield Borough Police1872-02-24(1872-02-24)24 February 1872 (aged 33)A fractured skull received during an arrest in a hostile crowd
Harold Grainger09Police ConstableSouth Yorkshire Police1974-10-26(1974-10-26)26 October 1974 (aged 35)Police vehicle accident while on prisoner escort to Paisley
Glen Howe09Police ConstableSouth Yorkshire Police2008-10-24(2008-10-24)24 October 2008 (aged 48)Police motorcycle accident attending an emergency in Sheffield
Matt Lannie09Police ConstableSouth Yorkshire Police2008-10-24(2020-04-21)21 April 2020 (aged 40)Police motorcycle accident in Sheffield while responding to a vehicle failing to stop
Thomas Andrew Jackson09Police ConstableSouth Yorkshire Police2003-12-13(2003-12-13)13 December 2003 (aged 46)Collapsed dispersing rival football crowds with his police dog
William Jackson08SergeantSheffield City Police1914-11-26(1914-11-26)26 November 1914 (aged 41)Accidentally killed by a train while crossing the line on patrol at night
John William Kew09Police ConstableWest Riding of Yorkshire Constabulary1900-07-11(1900-07-11)11 July 1900 (aged 29)Fatally shot challenging two armed suspects who had threatened him
Harry Marriott09Police ConstableSheffield City Police1961-06-08(1961-06-08)8 June 1961 (aged 31)Accidental collision with a van while on motorcycle patrol
Lot Moor09Police ConstableWest Riding of Yorkshire Constabulary1900-06-16(1900-06-16)16 June 1900 (aged 58)Found dead on his beat in the early morning believed from heart failure
Frank Hides Munks10Police War Reserve ConstableSheffield City Police1940-12-13(1940-12-13)13 December 1940 (aged 52)Enemy air raid
John Pollard01Chief ConstableRotherham Borough Police1888-06-30(1888-06-30)30 June 1888 (aged 41)Collapsed while running to the scene of a fire late at night
Edwin Pryor09Police ConstableSheffield Borough Police1857-04-08(1857-04-08)8 April 1857Struck on head by a stone during a street disturbance and died next day
Rex Webster Robinson08SergeantDoncaster Borough Police1961-12-09(1961-12-09)9 December 1961 (aged 52)Collapsed while briefing traffic officers on shift changeover
Gina Corin Rutherford09Woman Police ConstableSouth Yorkshire Police1994-02-07(1994-02-07)7 February 1994 (aged 25)Drowned in a patrol car which left an icy road and crashed into a river
Barry Saunders09Police ConstableSouth Yorkshire Police1989-11-24(1989-11-24)24 November 1989 (aged 31)Fell through a roof while checking burgled factory premises
James Slee09Police ConstableSheffield City Police1940-09(1940-09-00)September 1940 (aged 30)Road accident on patrol in a police motorcycle combination
Kenneth South09Police ConstableSheffield City Police1960-03-30(1960-03-30)30 March 1960 (aged 25)Motorcycle accident after finishing an extended tour of duty
Frederick Parkes Spencer09Police FiremanSheffield Police Fire Brigade1940-12-12(1940-12-12)12 December 1940 (aged 36)Killed fighting a fire at the Empire Theatre after an enemy air raid
George William Watson07InspectorWest Riding of Yorkshire Constabulary1953-11-05(1953-11-05)5 November 1953 (aged 48)Collapsed soon after leading a police funeral escort
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See also

References
  1. "South Yorkshire Police purchase the Carbrook House in Sheffield". Property Magazine International. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  2. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/apr/28/new-south-yorkshire-police-chief-hillsborough-dawn-copley-offers-resign-over-conduct
  3. "South Yorkshire Police Command Team". South Yorkshire Police. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  4. "South Yorkshire Labour candidate Shaun Wright elected police chief". BBC. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
  5. "South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner confirms Deputy". 14 January 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  6. "New South Yorkshire deputy police chief role comes under fire". The Star. 15 January 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2013. The Police and Crime Commissioner and his deputy are overseen by the police and crime panel.
  7. "South Yorkshire Labour candidate Shaun Wright elected police chief". BBC News. 16 November 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  8. David, Conn (12 April 2012). "Hillsborough and Battle of Orgreave: one police force, two disgraces". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
  9. "BBC News – Battle of Orgreave ex-officer calls for police conduct inquiry". BBC News. 17 June 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  10. "South Yorkshire Police's Hillsborough apology". BBC. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
  11. "Hillsborough comments made by chief constable in email to be investigated". The Guardian. 14 June 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  12. O'Carroll, Lisa; Halliday, Josh (25 February 2016). "Rotherham child sexual abuse victims to take police to court". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  13. "South Yorkshire Police chief suspended over Hillsborough". BBC News Online. 27 April 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  14. "South Yorkshire Police chief to stand down over criticism". BBC News Online. 28 April 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  15. "Five in court over South Yorkshire Police helicopter sex films". BBC News Online. 10 May 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  16. "Police helicopter sex accused to stand trial". BBC News Online. 7 June 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  17. Siddique, Haroon; agency (4 August 2017). "South Yorkshire police helicopter crew cleared over filming people naked". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  18. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/police-chief-we-ignored-sex-abuse-of-children-hgrhc358v#
  19. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/01/18/rotherham-police-did-not-do-enough-protect-girls-abuse-asian/
  20. "Obituaries: James Brownlow". The Times. 10 January 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  21. "Peter Wright obituary". The Guardian. 27 September 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  22. "Med Hughes says South Yorkshire Police is in 'safe hands'". BBC. 8 October 2011. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  23. "David Crompton appointed new South Yorkshire Police chief". BBC. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  24. url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-36154201 South Yorkshire Police chief suspended over Hillsborough
  25. Police Roll of Honour Trust. "South Yorkshire Police Roll of Honour". Retrieved 28 February 2013.
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