The Metropolitan Police has fired the head of its Special Constabulary after using artificial intelligence to discover that he had copied intimate images onto his work phone.
Special chief officer James Deller, who led the force’s volunteer officers, was dismissed following a misconduct hearing on Friday.
Investigators employed lawful business monitoring and Palantir’s Foundry system to identify the misconduct, the force said.
Commander Pete Stevens said Deller failed to meet the required standard and his actions were an abuse of trust.
The images were sent to Deller’s personal phone in July and August 2025 using WhatsApp’s view once feature, which makes them disappear after opening.
He copied the images onto his work phone, sent them back to his personal device, and then deleted them from the work phone.
The misconduct came to light during a week-long operation called Project Galatasaray, which used AI to search for corruption and professional misconduct within the Metropolitan Police.
Deller will be added to the College of Policing’s barred list, meaning he will not be able to serve in policing again.
Stevens said the vast majority of officers and staff serve with dedication and integrity and that those in the Special Constabulary are volunteers who deserve leaders who demonstrate the highest standards.
The Metropolitan Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, urged officers to be extremely cautious about carrying work devices after the force upgraded its Lawful Business Monitoring software to include Palantir’s artificial intelligence technology.
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 introduction of AI.
The London Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime blocked the Metropolitan Police from signing a two-year contract with Palantir to provide artificial intelligence technology for criminal investigations.
The mayor’s office 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 the mayor’s office, alleging it unlawfully blocked the deal after taking the company’s values and ethics into account, which it said was an irrelevant consideration.
Palantir holds contracts with a number of UK public bodies, including the NHS and the Ministry of Defence.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham is 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.
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