Metropolitan Police deploys Palantir AI to assess officer misconduct
The Metropolitan Police deployed Palantir Technologies' AI tool in April 2026 to analyse officer device data and assess misconduct, flagging hundreds of officers within a week. The Police Federation reportedly criticised the tool as intrusive and insufficiently transparent, expressing concerns about location tracking and potential misuse to challenge overtime and sick leave, and indicated consideration of legal action.
What happened
The Metropolitan Police piloted Palantir Technologies' AI tool to assess data from officers' devices in April 2026. The tool analysed data from attendance, expenses, building access and complaints systems that the Met already lawfully held.
Within a week, the system flagged hundreds of officers for various forms of misconduct. Results included 98 officers identified for abuse of shift-scheduling systems, 500 receiving prevention notices on the same issue, 42 senior leaders for hybrid work violations, and 12 officers for failing to declare Freemason ties. Three arrests and two suspensions followed from potential criminal activity flags.
Reported impact
The Metropolitan Police Federation criticised the tool as intrusive and warned officers to be cautious about carrying Met-issued devices when off duty. The federation expressed concern about alleged 24/7 location tracking and said the deployment could use device location data to challenge overtime, sickness, performance or conduct.
The federation stated the deployment was not transparently communicated to staff and raised concerns about checks and balances. Matt Cane, General Secretary of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said the use of AI would damage trust between officers and the force and worsen already plummeting morale. The federation indicated it was weighing legal action against the Met.
Index analysis
The tool identified patterns across multiple police systems faster than legacy systems. It drew from data the force already held without requiring new surveillance infrastructure.
Governance controls
The Met stated it would not detail how the AI system works beyond saying it draws data from multiple police systems. The Metropolitan Police Federation stated that staff 'were never informed that the upgrade would include the deployment of Palantir's Artificial Intelligence'.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.