Met's Special Constabulary head fired after AI tool found deleted intimate images on work phone

The Metropolitan Police has fired the head of its Special Constabulary after Palantir's AI monitoring uncovered that he had used his work phone to copy intimate images of a woman.

Special chief officer James Deller, who led the force's volunteer officers, was dismissed following a misconduct hearing on Friday.

The Met said investigators used lawful business monitoring and Palantir's Foundry system, which uses artificial intelligence (AI), to find the misconduct by Deller.

Cdr Pete Stevens said: "SCO Deller failed to meet that bar. His actions were an abuse of the trust put in him and it is right that he is no longer able to serve in policing."

Investigators found that in July and August 2025, Deller used his police-issued phone to take photos of two intimate images that had been sent to his personal phone.

The pictures had been sent using WhatsApp's "view once" feature, which makes them disappear after they are opened.

He then sent the copied images back to his personal device before deleting them from his work phone.

The misconduct was discovered during a week-long operation called Project Galatasaray, which used the AI technology in a bid to identify corruption and professional misconduct within the Met.

Deller will be added to the College of Policing's barred list, meaning he will not be able to serve in policing again.

Stevens added: "The vast majority of Met officers and staff serve London with dedication and integrity, and they rightly expect robust action against the small minority who abuse their position and undermine public trust.

"That is particularly true of those who serve in the Special Constabulary. They are volunteers who selflessly give up their time to keep London safe.

"They deserve to be led by people who demonstrate the highest standards in all parts of their lives."

In April, the Metropolitan Police Federation urged officers to be "extremely cautious" about carrying Met-issued devices while off duty after the force upgraded its Lawful Business Monitoring software.

The federation's general secretary, Matt Cane, said staff had not been told the upgrade included the introduction of Palantir's artificial intelligence technology, appearing to mark its first deployment to monitor Met systems.

In May, Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes told the London Assembly's Police and Crime Committee that officers were not under any "additional surveillance in the workplace" after the force began using AI in a bid to root out bad behaviour.

He said the Met had considered the reputational risks of using the "divisive" technology, but added that it helped identify "unacceptable, dishonest, corrosive behaviours" among officers.

The London Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (Mopac) blocked the Met from signing a two-year contract with Palantir to provide artificial intelligence technology for criminal investigations.

Mopac said the force had failed to set out its procurement strategy, describing this as a "clear and serious breach" of procedure.

Palantir is now suing Mopac, alleging it unlawfully blocked the deal after taking the company's "values and ethics" into account, which it said was an "irrelevant consideration."

Palantir, founded by controversial tech billionaire Peter Thiel, holds contracts with a number of UK public bodies, including the NHS and the Ministry of Defence.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham is currently facing growing pressure from Labour MPs and trade unions to end government contracts with Palantir.

Former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson, who recently joined the company, warned against "mob rule" in government procurement.

Lord Watson told BBC Radio 4's Political Thinking With Nick Robinson: "One of the things I'd say to my former colleagues is, 'Do you want to let the rule of law lead procurement practice, or do you want to let mob rule lead procurement practices?'

"Because you get yourself in a lot of trouble if you go down on the latter one."