POLICE CHIEF APOLOGISES FOR HARMFUL HISTORICAL POLICING OF THE MIDLANDS LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY
Image: Dr Steve Ball, the Chair of Birmingham LGBT and Southside Business Board
On 23 June 2026, West Midlands Police Acting Chief Constable (ACC) Scott Green issued a formal apology to Dr Steve Ball, the Chair of Birmingham LGBT and Southside Business Board for past policing practices that harmed the region’s LGBTQ+ community.
The apology, long called for by community leaders, acknowledges that, prior to the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 2003, laws were used to deliberately target LGBTQ+ people in discriminatory and damaging ways. It also recognises the lasting trauma caused, and the deep mistrust that left many unwilling to report crime or engage with West Midlands Police as a result.
In his letter, ACC Green also noted the changes that had taken place in recent years to improve policing in the community, and reaffirmed his commitment to continuing to work with the LGBTQ+ Community to repair their relationship with West Midlands Police.
Southside District, home to Birmingham’s Gay Village, remains a vital hub for the LGBTQ+ Community in the West Midlands, including the Birmingham LGBT Centre.
In a statement, Dr Ball said:
“Birmingham LGBT welcomes the apology we have received from the Acting Chief Constable of West Midlands Police.
We recognise this as an important acknowledgment and a meaningful step toward rebuilding trust between the police and our LGBTQ+ communities in Birmingham and the wider West Midlands.
An apology matters because it validates the experiences of LGBTQ+ people who have felt let down, unheard, or unsafe. Words alone don’t undo harm, but they do open the door to accountability and change.
We welcome the commitment to do better and we look forward to working constructively with West Midlands Police to ensure this apology translates into action: fair treatment, inclusive training, and policies that protect and respect LGBTQ+ people every day.
Birmingham LGBT remains committed to supporting our community and holding all public services to the standards of dignity, safety, and equality we all deserve.”