Yahoo Finance Hillsborough Families Want Force Troubleshooters
Families of 20 fans who died at Hillsborough have asked the Home Secretary to apply "remedial measures" to South Yorkshire Police.
They say the force is in "shambles" and want Theresa May to intervene and initiate a "rigorous examination" of its failings, values and ethics.
Elkan Abrahamson, a solicitor with legal firm Broudie Jackson Canter, told Sky News: "We are appalled to see the shambles in South Yorkshire Police following the Hillsborough inquest verdict.
"South Yorkshire Police leadership have showed a lamentable refusal to face up to the fact that their organisation needs to take a long hard look at their values and ethics.
"We believe the rank and file officers in the force are being let down by their leaders.
"Sadly the only solution would appear to be the application of remedial measures and we have today asked Theresa May to commence the procedure to enable this.
"The Home Secretary needs to send a team in to look at the force root and branch, to speak to the rank and file and see what they think is wrong in the force and what needs to be done.
"We believe there needs to be a rigorous and continuing examination of the ethical behaviour of the force at every level.
"The force's motto is 'justice with courage' - sadly they have shown neither."
The action comes as the force's acting chief constable is standing down - just days after being appointed to the post.
Dawn Copley, who replaced the suspended David Crompton after the Hillsborough inquest - is facing a misconduct investigation with regard to her time at Greater Manchester Police.
It is rare for a police force to be put into remedial measures. The last time it happened was at Nottinghamshire Police over crime figures, some 15 years ago.
Sky's Frazer Maude, in Sheffield, said: "This is clearly a force under severe pressure at the moment. It did have a temporary leader at the helm - she has now gone. It is a force in disarray".
The jury at the Hillsborough inquests ruled the 96 fans were unlawfully killed - and the behaviour of supporters was not a factor in the tragedy at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final.
Jurors also concluded blunders by the police and ambulance services "caused or contributed to" the deaths.
Two investigations into the tragedy are under way, one a criminal probe into the deaths called Operation Resolve. The other is being carried out by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
A decision on whether to bring prosecutions will be taken once investigators have handed in their reports to the Crown Prosecution Service, likely in three to six months' time.
