Commissioner says he had ‘no legal power’ to sack police chief over Maccabi Tel Aviv ban | Police
The West Midlands police and crime commissioner said politicians presented “a degree of fiction” about the power to sack a police chief over a ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, adding that it was not “an episode of The Apprentice”.
The home secretary has withdrawn confidence from chief constable Craig Guildford after an official investigation found West Midlands police used “exaggerated” intelligence to justify a ban on fans attending last year’s Europa League match against Aston Villa. Despite this, Guildford remained in office for two more days before announcing his retirement.
Simon Foster said he began the process that would see him sack Guildford on January 15, the day the preliminary report from Her Majesty’s Constabulary Inspectorate (HMIC) was published.
At the accountability and board meeting that Foster chaired Tuesday, he was asked why he didn’t immediately fire the police chief. “A police and crime commissioner has no legal authority to suspend a chief constable on the spot,” Foster said. “This is not an episode of The Apprentice. You can’t call the police chief, point him across the table and say, ‘You’re fired.’ “There needs to be a legal process.”
He added: “This is a detailed process and requires me to liaise not only with the HMIC but also the police and criminal court and the chief constable. I think the public and politicians are providing a degree of fiction and unreality to the extent that the media is not widely understood. I need to act within the law.”
Foster said he had instructed the police watchdog to investigate Guildford’s role in the ban on away fans, days after the chief constable announced his retirement. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is also independently investigating to determine whether any police officers or staff have a case to answer for misconduct.
A previous Conservative government gave police and crime commissioners the power to appoint and dismiss chief constables. However, the government has now announced plans to bring this power back to the Home Office.
Foster, who has faced calls from some to resign over his response to the inspectorate’s report, said he was “absolutely determined and committed to holding West Midlands police to account”.
The ban, ultimately imposed on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans by the council-led security advisory group (SAG), sparked outrage when it was announced in October last year. Keir Starmer described this as “wrong” and suggested it amounted to antisemitism.
Following the announcement, a series of reports and admissions revealed that West Midlands police had not consulted the local Jewish community before the decision and that police intelligence used to justify the ban referred to a non-existent match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and West Ham produced using artificial intelligence.
At an accountability and executive board meeting chaired by Foster on Tuesday, West Midlands police acting chief constable Scott Green admitted the force had “exaggerated” intelligence and record keeping was not “where it needed to be”.
In a letter published before the meeting, Green offered a “full and sincere apology” on behalf of the police and acknowledged that the force’s response to criticism had been “too defensive.”
While Green said he could not comment on many issues due to the police watchdog’s ongoing investigation, the acting chief constable pledged to rebuild trust with local communities and promised some changes, including antisemitism training for police officers and a review into the use of artificial intelligence.
A report from the home affairs select committee, which also questioned officers over the decision to suspend fans, is expected to be published in February. The full report of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary is expected to be published in the summer.
