HN87

This article is part of the Undercover Research Portal at Powerbase - investigating corporate and police spying on activists

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Part of a series on undercover police officers
'HN87'
Alias:	unknown
Deployment:	1980s/1990s
Unit:	Special Demonstration Squad
Targets:	unknown

HN87 is the cipher given to a former Special Demonstration Squad undercover officer who as deployed in the 1980s/1990s.

The chair of the Undercover Policing Inquiry, John Mitting, has indicated he is minded to restrict the real and cover name on heatlh grounds.

For the N cipher system see N officers page.

As an SDS undercover

Held sensitive posts before joining the SDS. Does not recall who recruited them to that unit, and there was no psychometric testing. Initially spent time in back office. One of the groups infiltrated 'was violent in outlook' and HN78 believes one individual there presents an ongoing threat. They were not arrested, though were stopped while driving and asked to produce documents. Another part of the risk assessment states:

N87 was considered as part of a potential miscarriage of justice that may have occurred when a number of activists were arrested for property offences but appears not to have been involved.

Joined Special Branch in 1970s and said:

I signed the Official Secrets Act which I have respected and I expected my employer to do the same. It was made clear on joining Special Branch that the whole branch was very confidential.

I was not given an express promise of confidentiality but the whole set up of Special Branch, the act that the SOS was a secret group operating from covert premises, and the process to obtain a covert identity made it clear that both myreal and cover identity would be protected. I would not have agreed to do the role if I thought that my identity would be revealed.

Says they did not have any sexual relationships when deployed.

The risk assessment notes:

In relation to welfare and support N87 states that s/he tended to 'just get on with it'. Most of N87's colleagues would have been supportive. N87 did not request or require input when s/he was deployed.

Retired from police in 2000s and has moved onto other careers.

The risk assessor places threat of harm from as low if cover or real name is revealed.

In the Undercover Policing Inquiry

• 19 April 2018: Directed to file anonymity application by 24/27 April 2018.

• 23 May 2018: Inquiry Chair, John Mitting, stated he was minded to restrict the real and cover names for reasons which cannot be made public.

• 9 July 2018: provisional decision by Mitting to restrict real and cover names, with application material being released:

• Open application for a restriction order (anonymity) re: HN87, Metropolitan Police Service, real name only, 23 April 2018.
• Open application for a restriction order (anonymity) in respect of HN87's real name and cover name, MPS 'Designated Lawyers Team', 1 May 2018.
• Impact Statement of HN87, 27 April 2018.
• N87 - Risk Assessment, 12 June 2018 (David Reid).