The head of the Metropolitan Police Special Constabulary has been dismissed without notice after using his police-issued phone to photograph intimate images sent to his personal device. An accelerated misconduct hearing on Friday, October 9, found that Special Chief Officer James Deller had used his work phone on two occasions in July and August 2025 to capture sexual images of a woman. The images had originally been sent to Deller’s personal phone using WhatsApp’s “View Once” function. Police said Deller photographed the images using his work device, sent the photographs back to his personal phone and later deleted them.
Conduct uncovered during anti-corruption operation
The misconduct was identified during Project Galatasaray, a Met operation using technology to investigate corruption and professional standards breaches. The force said lawful business monitoring and Palantir’s Foundry system were used to identify the images and other evidence in Deller’s case. 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.” He said members of the Special Constabulary, who serve as volunteers, deserved to be led by people who demonstrated the highest standards. Commander Stevens added: “SCO Deller failed to meet that bar. He let himself down but more importantly, he let the Special Constabulary down.”
Barred from policing
Deller will now be placed on the College of Policing’s barred list, preventing him from serving in policing again. The Met said it is also reviewing the future leadership and structure of the Special Constabulary as part of wider work around professional standards.
Originally published by UKNIP.
