Interim boss of West Midlands Police throws hat in ring to take on permanent role
Acting Chief Constable Scott Green said he will be applying for the role in the summer.
The interim boss of West Midlands Police has thrown his hat in the ring to take on the role permanently.
Acting Chief Constable Scott Green said he will be applying for the role in the summer, adding he would “love it” if he was to land the job and continue the journey the force is currently on.
Mr Green was speaking on the Ed James show on BBC Radio WM in the ‘Hot Seat’ segment which saw the host and members of the public grill him on an array of policing issues.
He was appointed to the role in January this year following the controversy over Israeli football fans being banned from attending a match in Birmingham.
The force came under fire when incorrect evidence garnered from Microsoft Copilot was used as part of a decision by Birmingham Safety Advisory Group to stop Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending a Europa League game against Aston Villa in November.
The fallout resulted in the retirement of former West Midlands Police chief constable Craig Guildford, who had admitted misleading MPs after previously denying the use of AI.
When asked if he’d like to continue in the role, Mr Green said: “My answer to that in January/February was I’m trying to steady the ship and there’s a job to be done today.
“My answer to that four months later is I will be applying for the role when it is advertised in the summer. I think the selection process will be in the autumn time.
“I will be applying because I think the force is on a journey and I’d like to continue with it.
“The most important thing is whoever the next chief constable is has got to be the right and best person to lead the force and keep the public safe.
“If that’s me, I’d love it to be. If it’s not me, their success matters to all of us.”
Mr Green was also asked what three things he’d like to be judged on if he returned to the show in a year’s time.
He said the first thing was he wanted to be judged not on things he said but on what the force had actually delivered.
Secondly, he wanted to see more visibility on the police and help people feel safer on the streets, adding they will be carrying out a public perception survey to ascertain the confidence people had in officers.
And finally, he said wanted the force to become more preventative and get to the root of issues to solve problems early on.