West Midlands Police will work to rebuild relations

West Midlands Police's acting chief constable apologised to the local Jewish community after a decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans relied on AI-generated incorrect evidence; the force has paused staff access to Microsoft Copilot and an Independent Office for Police Conduct probe into the former chief constable's role is under way.

West Midlands Police's acting chief constable has apologised to the local Jewish community and said the force will work to rebuild relations after a decision in November to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from a match. The matter was discussed at a meeting with the Police and Crime Commissioner and other senior figures. The report to the Safety Advisory Group relied in part on information produced by an AI tool that referenced a non-existent fixture. The former chief constable retired following the controversy. Key facts: - Officials apologised to the local Jewish community and said the force must rebuild trust and confidence. - A report used AI-generated information that referenced a non-existent match, and Microsoft Copilot was identified as the tool involved. - The force has temporarily blocked staff access to Copilot pending policies and guidance before further use. - The Independent Office for Police Conduct is independently investigating the former chief constable's involvement, and His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary has reported on the force's failings. Summary: Officials stated that the force recognises failures in engagement and is committing to restore relations with the Jewish community. An independent investigation by the IOPC is under way, access to the AI tool has been paused while policies are prepared, and rollout of antisemitism training for officers was announced. Undetermined at this time.