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The head of the Metropolitan Police's Special Constabulary, James Deller, was dismissed after using his work phone to capture and transfer intimate images of a woman. An investigation utilizing Palantir’s Foundry AI system revealed that in July and August 2025, Deller used his police-issued device to copy these images from WhatsApp before deleting them, violating workplace policies. The incident occurred during an operation aimed at detecting misconduct within the Met, leading to calls for scrutiny of contracts with Palantir due to privacy concerns.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-10,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
James Deller, the head of the Metropolitan Police's Special Constabulary, was dismissed after being caught using his work phone to capture and share intimate images of a woman in July and August 2025. The misconduct was uncovered through an investigation that utilized Palantir’s Foundry system, an AI-powered technology, which revealed Deller had copied the images from WhatsApp's "view once" feature onto his personal device before deleting them from work property.
The incident occurred during a week-long operation aimed at detecting professional misconduct and corruption within the Met. The use of Palantir's tech has been controversial due to ongoing legal disputes between Palantir and London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who blocked a £50 million deal with the Metropolitan Police over concerns about data privacy and ethics.
Written for “Met Police Volunteer Scandal” on 2026-10-10,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 70003 · logged 2026-10-10
The Metropolitan Police has fired the head of its Special Constabulary after using his work phone to capture images of a sexual nature.
asserted
Police → fire → nature
An investigation using Palantir technology found Special Chief Officer James Deller had used his work phone to copy intimate images of a woman.
asserted
Deller → use → woman
Special Chief Officer James Deller, who led the force’s volunteer officers, was removed from his position after an accelerated misconduct hearing on Friday.
asserted
who → lead → Friday
Investigators used lawful business monitoring and Palantir’s Foundry system, which uses artificial intelligence (AI), to uncover the conduct.
asserted
which → use → conduct
They found that in July and August 2025, SCO Deller had used his police-issued device to photograph intimate images of a woman sent to his personal phone.
asserted
Deller → find → phone
The original images were sent using WhatsApp’s “view once” feature, designed to make images disappear after they have been opened.
asserted
they → send → feature
He then sent copies back to his personal device before deleting them from his work phone.
asserted
He → send → phone
The misconduct came to light during a week-long operation using advanced technology targeting professional misconduct and corruption within the Met.
asserted
misconduct → come → Met
Software company Palantir, founded by tech magnate Peter Thiel, holds contracts with other UK public sector bodies, including the NHS and the Ministry of Defence.
asserted
company → found → Defence
The US tech giant’s involvement in the UK has been controversial, with Palantir currently suing London Mayor Lord Sadiq Khan of Tooting’s office after he blocked a £50 million deal with the Metropolitan Police.
asserted
he → sue → Police
Commander Pete Stevens said: “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.
Read More
“That is particularly true of those who serve in the Special Constabulary.
asserted
who → say → Constabulary
They are volunteers who selflessly give up their time to keep London safe.
asserted
who → give → London
They deserve to be led by people who demonstrate the highest standards in all parts of their lives.
asserted
who → deserve → lives
“SCO Deller failed to meet that bar.
asserted
Deller → fail → bar
He let himself down but more importantly, he let the Special Constabulary down.
asserted
he → let → Constabulary
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.”
asserted
he → put → policing
SCO Deller will be added to the College of Policing’s barred list, making him ineligible for future police service.
asserted
him → add → service
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Andy Burnham is under significant pressure from Labour MPs and unions to end Government contracts with Palantir.
asserted
Burnham → end → Palantir
Former Labour deputy leader Lord Tom Watson, who recently joined Palantir, warned against “mob rule” in Government procurement practices.
asserted
who → join → practices
Lord Watson of Wyre Forest told BBC’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 to lead procurement practices?’
“Because you get yourself in a lot of trouble if you go down on the latter one.”
asserted
you → tell → one
In May, Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes told the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee that officers were not under any “additional surveillance in the workplace” after the force used AI in a bid to root out bad behaviour.
uncertain
force → tell → behaviour
He said the force had weighed the reputational risk of using the “divisive” technology, which he said identified “unacceptable, dishonest, corrosive behaviours” from officers.
asserted
he → say → officers
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