A senior Metropolitan Police commander has been suspended after an artificial intelligence system found alleged sexual content on his work phone — as the force confirms more than 100 officers have been flagged by the same technology since its rollout last month, triggering a major internal inquiry.
James Deller, a Special Constabulary Chief Officer responsible for overseeing 1,200 volunteer officers, is under investigation after being identified by software developed by US data firm Palantir. The system, which scans data held on officers’ work phones and laptops, flagged Deller for allegedly holding “sexualised content” on a force device. The civilian volunteer, thought to work in the NHS, could face dismissal if the allegation is upheld, though the Metropolitan Police stressed the matter was being treated as a disciplinary issue rather than a criminal one. “The officer has not been arrested and there are no criminal allegations,” the force said.
Deller is, however, far from alone. The scale of referrals generated by the Palantir system since its deployment has prompted the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards to establish a dedicated investigation, named Operation Artificial, to handle the volume of cases. Among those flagged, officers have faced accusations ranging from fraud and sexual assault to misconduct in public office. Two officers have been arrested over unspecified allegations.
The Metropolitan Police paid £487,000 for the Palantir system, which represents a significant expansion of automated surveillance within the force’s internal oversight regime. The technology’s rapid identification of more than 100 officers has simultaneously demonstrated its capabilities and ignited a fierce debate about how far such monitoring should extend into policing.
The Met Police Federation, which represents around 30,000 officers, was forthright in its criticism of the approach. “No one wants bad police, but officers do not deserve to be treated with this level of suspicion by their Big Brother Bosses,” a spokesperson said — a statement that reflects wider unease within the rank and file about the use of AI-driven surveillance on serving personnel.
The development comes at a particularly sensitive moment for the Metropolitan Police, which has faced sustained scrutiny over officer conduct in recent years, including following a series of high-profile misconduct cases that have severely damaged public trust. The force has been under pressure to demonstrate robust internal accountability, and the Palantir deployment appears to be part of that effort — though the scale of what it has uncovered in its first weeks of operation has clearly caught even senior figures by surprise.
