West Midlands Police Chief Commits to Learning from Maccabi Fan Ban Controversy
The newly appointed Acting Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, Scott Green, has expressed his absolute determination to ensure the force learns crucial lessons from the controversial ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv away fans last November. The decision, which prevented supporters from attending a Europa League match at Villa Park, was based on a police report containing significant inaccuracies, including an AI-generated hallucination produced by Microsoft's Copilot tool.
Apology and Immediate Actions Taken
In his first media interviews since taking over from former chief constable Craig Guildford, Mr Green outlined the three immediate steps he took upon assuming office. "On my first day in office I took three important steps," he stated. "The first one was to apologise for the damage that West Midlands Police had caused to public confidence, particularly to the affected groups."
His second action was a voluntary referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct regarding the conduct of officers involved in the decision-making process. Thirdly, he launched Operation Strive, a recovery plan designed to extract and implement all necessary lessons from the policing of that fixture.
The AI Hallucination and Ongoing Suspension
The controversy centres on a police report submitted to Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group that contained eight documented inaccuracies. Most notably, it referenced a non-existent football match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and West Ham United, which was later identified as an AI hallucination generated by Microsoft Copilot.
Mr Green confirmed that he took the decision to switch off the AI tool on his first day in office. "It was a limited pilot," he explained. "We're still scoping some of the lessons being learned, and until the Independent Office for Police Conduct have given their view, we're going to leave it switched off for the time being."
Despite this temporary suspension, the Acting Chief Constable acknowledged that artificial intelligence will inevitably play a role in future policing. "AI forms part of all of our lives. It will form a part of all of our working lives," he said, noting that West Midlands Police already uses AI in some call-handling functions.
Community Engagement and Ongoing Investigations
When asked about practical steps to prevent similar incidents, Mr Green emphasized improved community engagement. "One of the first things I did within my first week is met with members of the community, particularly the Jewish community," he revealed. "I spent last week at a community iftar event listening to our Muslim community. I'm doing the same thing at the end of this week to draw lessons from communities."
The police chief acknowledged the challenge of commenting while two independent investigations remain ongoing. The IOPC announced on January 19 that it had begun investigating the role of police officers and staff in the decision to ban Maccabi fans, including a voluntary conduct referral regarding one senior officer and a staff member over AI use. Additionally, the watchdog is independently investigating the conduct of former chief constable Craig Guildford following a referral from the West Midlands police and crime commissioner.
Broader Policing Priorities and Context
Beyond the Maccabi controversy, Mr Green outlined his continued focus on tackling knife crime, particularly its impact on young people, and addressing violence against women and girls. He also appealed to social media users to consider the consequences of posting footage from major incidents where people have been injured.
The Acting Chief Constable praised frontline staff, noting the force's recent recovery from special measures status. "We recovered from that in nine months and 27 days, faster than any police force," he said with pride. "I'm really proud of the performance of the force and its officers, staff and volunteers."
As investigations continue and the force implements lessons from Operation Strive, West Midlands Police faces the dual challenge of rebuilding community trust while navigating the appropriate integration of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence into modern policing practices.
