Met Police dismisses volunteer chief after AI tool exposes deleted intimate images on work phone

The head of the Metropolitan Police's volunteer officer force has been removed from his post after an artificial intelligence monitoring system revealed he had copied intimate images of a woman onto his work phone and then attempted to erase the evidence.

Special chief officer James Deller, who led the Met's Special Constabulary, was dismissed on Friday following a misconduct hearing. The case marks one of the most significant outcomes yet from the force's growing use of AI-driven oversight tools.

According to the Met, investigators relied on lawful business monitoring combined with Palantir's Foundry system, an AI platform capable of scanning and analysing large volumes of data, to uncover Deller's actions. The technology flagged suspicious activity on his police-issued device, prompting a formal inquiry.

Commander Pete Stevens said Deller had fallen far short of the standards expected of someone in his position. "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," Stevens said.

The misconduct hearing heard that during July and August 2025, Deller used his work phone to photograph two intimate images that had been sent to his personal device. The pictures had originally been shared via WhatsApp's "view once" feature, a setting designed to make images disappear after a single viewing.

Rather than respecting that ephemeral privacy protection, Deller captured the images using his police-issued phone, then forwarded the copies back to his personal device. He subsequently deleted the images from his work phone in what investigators treated as an attempt to conceal his conduct. The effort to cover his tracks ultimately failed because the AI monitoring system had already recorded the activity.

The misconduct was detected during a week-long operation known as Project Galatasaray, which deployed AI technology to identify corruption and professional misconduct within the Met. The operation forms part of a broader push by the force to use data analytics in its internal integrity work.

As a result of his dismissal, Deller will be placed on the College of Policing's barred list, which prevents him from serving in any policing role in the future. The measure effectively ends his career in law enforcement.

Stevens stressed that the vast majority of Met officers and staff carry out their duties with dedication and honesty, and that they expect strong action against the few who abuse their positions. He said that expectation is especially acute for the Special Constabulary, whose members are unpaid volunteers who give up their own time to help keep London safe.

"They deserve to be led by people who demonstrate the highest standards in all parts of their lives," Stevens added, underscoring the trust placed in those who command volunteer officers.

The dismissal comes amid heightened scrutiny of the Met's relationship with Palantir, the US technology company founded by controversial tech billionaire Peter Thiel. The force's dealings with the firm have already drawn criticism from the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime, known as Mopac.

In April, the Metropolitan Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, urged members to be "extremely cautious" about carrying Met-issued devices while off duty. The warning followed the force's upgrade of its Lawful Business Monitoring software. The federation's general secretary, Matt Cane, said staff had not been informed that the upgrade included the introduction of Palantir's AI technology, which appeared to mark its first deployment to monitor Met systems.

In May, Met 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 to root out bad behaviour. He acknowledged that the Met had weighed the reputational risks of using what he described as "divisive" technology, but argued it helped identify "unacceptable, dishonest, corrosive behaviours" among officers.

Separately, Mopac blocked the Met from signing a two-year contract with Palantir to provide AI technology for criminal investigations, saying the force had failed to set out its procurement strategy. Mopac described the move as a "clear and serious breach" of procedure.

Palantir is now suing Mopac, alleging that it unlawfully blocked the deal after taking the company's "values and ethics" into account, which the firm argues was an "irrelevant consideration." The dispute highlights the wider political sensitivity surrounding the company's role in UK public services.

Palantir holds contracts with several UK public bodies, including the NHS and the Ministry of Defence. The company's expanding footprint has become a contentious issue, with Labour MPs and trade unions pressing Prime Minister Andy Burnham to end government contracts with the firm.

Former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson, who recently joined Palantir, warned against allowing public pressure to dictate procurement decisions. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Political Thinking With Nick Robinson, Lord Watson said: "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."

The Deller case is likely to intensify debate over how far police forces should go in monitoring their own staff, and whether AI tools originally designed for counter-fraud or business compliance are appropriate for policing oversight. Supporters argue the technology offers a powerful safeguard against misconduct that might otherwise remain hidden, while critics question the transparency of its deployment and the privacy implications for officers both on and off duty.