Volunteer Police Chief Dismissed Over Palantir AI Probe
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Volunteer police chief fired after Palantir probe
Image source: LinkedIn
Image caption: Special chief officer James Deller's actions were "an abuse of trust", the Met Police said.
Published 3 hours ago
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 utilizes artificial intelligence (AI), to uncover the misconduct by Deller.
Cdr Pete Stevens stated:
"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 discovered that in July and August 2025, Deller utilized his police-issued phone to capture photos of two intimate images that had been sent to his personal phone via WhatsApp's "view once" feature.
He then sent the copied images back to his personal device before deleting them from his work phone.
The misconduct was uncovered during a week-long operation called Project Galatasaray, which employed AI technology to identify corruption and professional misconduct within the Met.
Deller will be added to the College of Policing's barred list, preventing him from serving in policing again.
Cdr 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."
Background and Controversy
In April, the Metropolitan Police Federation, representing rank-and-file officers, advised officers to exercise caution while off-duty regarding the use of Met-issued devices after the force upgraded its Lawful Business Monitoring software.
The federation's general secretary, Matt Cane, expressed concern that staff were unaware of the introduction of Palantir's AI technology as part of the upgrade.
In May, Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes assured the London Assembly's Police and Crime Committee that officers were not subject to additional surveillance in the workplace following the adoption of AI to root out inappropriate behavior.
However, the London Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (Mopac) blocked the Met from signing a two-year contract with Palantir for AI technology in criminal investigations, citing procedural breaches.
Palantir is now suing Mopac, disputing the allegations.