00:00For many LGBTQ plus people, relations with policing carry a history of fear and mistrust.
00:08West Midlands Police has now acknowledged that history with its acting chief constable,
00:13issuing a formal apology for the force's historic mistreatment of LGBTQ plus communities locally.
00:21Scott Green wrote to Birmingham Pride organisers saying laws had been used wrongly to target people,
00:27especially gay and bisexual men.
00:30He said the approach had been inappropriate and discriminatory
00:34and had fallen below the standard the public should expect from officers.
00:38The letter says those actions may still affect confidence in the force.
00:43Mr Green said he could not change the past but wanted the apology to help build a positive relationship
00:49with LGBTQ plus communities and their allies across the West Midlands.
00:54Birmingham Pride organiser Lawrence Barton called it an historic moment.
01:00He said he'd sought an apology from previous chief constables over many years,
01:04but those requests had been declined.
01:07He said the decision was an important step towards reconciliation and understanding.
01:12The force says it wants to rebuild trust and make the region a safe and cohesive place to work, live
01:19and visit.
01:19The apology follows legal reforms in 2003, which removed several discriminatory provisions affecting gay and bisexual people.
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