James Deller
Introduction
James Deller was the head of the Metropolitan Police’s Special Constabulary, serving as a special chief officer who led the force’s volunteer officers. In October 2026, the force announced that it had fired him after Palantir’s AI monitoring uncovered that he had used his work phone to copy intimate images of a woman. According to reporting published on 10 October 2026, he was dismissed without notice following a misconduct hearing held on the Friday before publication, and he will be added to the College of Policing’s barred list, meaning he will not be able to serve in policing again. The case drew particular attention for how the misconduct was uncovered: not by a public complaint, but by the Met’s own AI-assisted monitoring of its systems.
Background Information
Deller held the rank of special chief officer and led the Metropolitan Police’s volunteer officers. The Special Constabulary, the branch he headed, is made up of people who, in the words of Cdr Pete Stevens, “are volunteers who selflessly give up their time to keep London safe.”
His dismissal arrived amid tension inside the Met over workplace monitoring. The force had upgraded its Lawful Business Monitoring software, and in April the Metropolitan Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, urged officers to be “extremely cautious” about carrying Met-issued devices while off duty. The federation’s general secretary, Matt Cane, said staff had not been told the upgrade included the introduction of Palantir’s artificial intelligence technology, which appeared to mark its first deployment to monitor Met systems. In May, Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes told the London Assembly’s Police and Crime Committee that officers were not under any “additional surveillance in the workplace”. He said the Met had considered the reputational risks of using the “divisive” technology, but that it helped identify “unacceptable, dishonest, corrosive behaviours” among officers.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
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 Met said investigators used lawful business monitoring and Palantir’s Foundry system, which uses artificial intelligence, to find the misconduct by Deller. 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. The case was then put before a misconduct hearing, which concluded on the Friday before the reports were published, and Deller was dismissed.
Public Reaction and Consequences
The Met was unequivocal in its public response. 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.” The force said Deller’s actions were “an abuse of trust”.
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.”
Reaction to the case also landed amid scrutiny of the Met’s wider dealings with Palantir. The London Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (Mopac) had blocked the force from signing a two-year contract with the company to provide artificial intelligence technology for criminal investigations, saying the Met had failed to set out its procurement strategy — 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. Coverage of Deller’s dismissal was framed against this backdrop, alongside the federation’s earlier warnings about Met-issued devices and the debate over how far AI monitoring should reach into officers’ working lives.
Current Status
James Deller has been dismissed without notice by the Metropolitan Police following a misconduct hearing, and he will be added to the College of Policing’s barred list, meaning he will not be able to serve in policing again. The dismissal was reported on 10 October 2026. Neither report included any comment from Deller himself.
Impact on Their Career/Life
The dismissal ended Deller’s service as head of the Met’s Special Constabulary, and the barred list decision permanently closes policing to him — as Stevens put it, “it is right that he is no longer able to serve in policing.” The findings made public against him — that he used a police-issued phone to photograph intimate images sent through a disappearing-message feature, transferred them to his personal device, and then deleted them from the work phone — were described by the Met as an abuse of the trust placed in him. His case was also reported alongside the continuing controversy over the Met’s use of Palantir’s AI technology, from the federation’s caution about Met-issued devices to City Hall’s blocked contract with the company.