Met to redo tech deal search after Palantir row

The Metropolitan Police has been ordered to hold a new procurement process to find a long-term provider for technology it uses to root out misconduct, after a row over an earlier deal with the US firm Palantir.

The Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) has also approved the force to extend its current pilot with Palantir for up to 12 months, with a break clause, so the technology can keep running while the search takes place.

The Met has welcomed the decision.

The developments follow a row over how the original deal was handled. Last month MOPAC blocked a proposed contract worth up to £50m, a decision the force said would lead to job cuts.

Following the announcement that the Met could continue to use Palantir for the next year, assistant commissioner Rachel Williams said the force was pleased.

The assistant commissioner said the technology had allowed the Met "for the first time, to bring together data it already lawfully holds in one place to identify potential standards, welfare or cultural concerns".

She added that an earlier pilot had identified potential conduct issues, with "a significant number of matters" now being progressed by professional standards.

She added the Met would "continue to work with MOPAC over procurement of technology at pace for the longer-term".

On the decision to block the initial contract, City Hall said the Met had engaged seriously with only one supplier and had not demonstrated value for money.

It also raised concerns about the firm's values and ethics, though it has said this could not legally affect the decision.

The Met called the block "disappointing", and commissioner Sir Mark Rowley warned it could lead to job cuts of up to 700, although the figure is not confirmed.

The Met has not yet responded to a request for comment on whether the latest development meant jobs were no longer at risk.

Palantir is now seeking a judicial review of that refusal. Its claim challenges what it describes as a MOPAC decision or policy not to contract with the firm because of a perceived mismatch between Palantir's "values and ethics" and "London's values", as well as the specific refusal to approve the contract for the Met's Unified Operational Analytics programme.

A Palantir spokesperson said: "We're proud that our software has been used so effectively by the Met Police to identify officer misconduct.

"This decision will enable that important work to continue.

"We know that Londoners value a police force that ensures its officers adhere to the highest standards - and we are determined to help the Met deliver that."

Sir Sadiq Khan said he backed the Met's use of technology but could not comment further because of ongoing legal proceedings.

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