A Jewish retired chief superintendent has been appointed as an adviser to West Midlands Police (WMP) following campaigning by Birmingham-based Jewish community activists.
Mat Shaer, who has over 32 years of policing expertise, including 10 as the head of hate crime, will help oversee antisemitism training throughout the WMP.
The force has been under heavy criticism from politicians and Jewish groups over its role in the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv away fans from attending a match against Aston Villa FC in Birmingham in November 2025.
A parliamentary inquiry found that the force had relied on inaccurate and AI-generated intelligence to justify the ban and wrongly suggested Jewish groups in Birmingham supported the exclusion.
The controversy led to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood declaring that she had lost the confidence of Chief Constable Craig Guildford, leading to his retirement in January.
Shaer, who retired in 2023, previously described WMP’s handling of the controversy as “embarrassing”.
The JC reported in 2021 that Shaer, who observes Shabbat and wore a kippah to work for about a decade, was the first “openly Orthodox police officer”.
The group of Jewish activists said on Friday that Shaer’s appointment is a “massive win” for the British Jewish community, and that his extensive experience makes him “well placed to advise on the positive changes needed in West Midlands Police and across the region in terms of handling antisemitism.”
Simone Schehtman, a member of the Birmingham activist group – which also played a key role in raising awareness of the Maccabi Aston Villa ban controversy and building opposition against the decision – said Shaer’s appointment is “a major [victory]” which will go towards “restoring better relations and giving the Jewish community… confidence in WMP after such a period of turmoil.”
She said: “We welcome this step to enable balance and understanding with the WMP, against the tide of hate facing the Jewish community nationally and locally. Together with other initiatives, this key appointment will make a major difference so that a situation such as the fiasco can never happen again.”
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