HN332

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
'HN332'
Alias:	unknown
Deployment:	1970s
Unit:	Special Demonstration Squad
Targets:	n/a

HN332' is the cipher given to a former officer with the Special Demonstration Squad undercover policing unit, where he held a managerial role in the 1970s.

The Chair of the Undercover Policing Inquiry, John Mitting, has indicated he is minded to restrict the real HN332 for the purposes of the Inquiry on the grounds of ill health.

• For the N cipher system see N officers page.

As an SDS officer

According to information released by the Inquiry:

HN332 worked in the SOS at its inception in a supervisory capacity for a short period. He returned in the early 1970s in an authorising or supervisory capacity. He remained in this capacity for several years during which time he was part of an SDS review.

There is no known indication or allegation of wrong doing.

No cover name is known.

The MPS considers it unlikely that he ever deployed as a UCO. A member of HN332’s family believes he did deploy but came close to being compromised.

In the Undercover Policing Inquiry

• Nov 2017 'Minded-To': restrict real name. Mitting stated: Provisional decision (5 Mar 2018): restrict real and cover name with application to be heard on 21 March 2018. Ruling (Mar 2018): Real name name cannot be published.

HN332 is in his eighties and in poor health. The Inquiry has been provided with a short medical report itemising the serious medical conditions from which he suffers, including one which is life-threatening. His daughter has provided a witness statement in which she says that he suffers from a very poor memory and from confusion. It must, therefore, be unlikely that he could provide useful evidence to the Inquiry.

He served in the Special Operations Squad/Special Demonstration Squad in a managerial capacity in the 1970’s. He was the signatory of a significant memorandum dated 17 December 1971. But for his age and health, I would have refused the application for a restriction order in respect of his real name, on the basis that a senior public servant should be willing and, if not, required, to account for his actions publicly. For the reasons explained, no useful purpose would be served by adopting that course; and to do so would risk impairing the peace of mind and even health of a man in his twilight years. I am minded to make a restriction order which will be in place during his life.

May 2018: Mitting ruled that the real name would be restricted.

Anonymity application documents:

• Open application, Metropolitan Police, 17 October 2017.
• Gist of additional information supplied in ‘closed’ schedule to the open application
• Statement of daughter of HN332, Metropolitan Police, 10 October 2017.
• Gist of letter provided to Inquiry from HN332’s General Practitioner (dated 15th May 2017)