SpycopsResearch.info makes the material released during the Undercover Policing Inquiry (UCPI) accessible for all and aims to set an example for future public inquiries.
The Spycops Research site consists of two major parts, the disclosure database and a growing collection of profiles of people involved and analysis of issues. Due to the large volume of documents and articles, we have created various ways to make it accessible according to needs. It does assume that you already have some understanding of the issues.
What to expect?
The Spring 2025 launch presents the documents of the Special Demonstration Squad from its start in 1968 to 1982. To go with this is an interlinked collection of profiles - pages covering the very early period of spying of 1968-1972, for now.
This is being continually expanded in sequential order, as the Inquiry releases more information.
How to use this site
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There are two main ways to access the material.
If you want to explore it by subject - such as by particular undercovers, tradecraft, relationships, Inquiry procedures or other issues, we have created a wiki-style network of articles to present the disclosure and procedural documents in a clear way that places them in context.
If you are more interested in specific classes of documents, then the place to go is the Document Database.
Each section has a dropdown explaining what to expect, linking back to this page for more information on How to use this website.
Articles
Searching the collection, displayed as tiles.
Depending on what you are looking for you can search in All profiles, or filter down into one of the categories, as described below. In that case, you will only search that selection of articles.
Spycops contains detailed individual profiles of the officers and their supervisors. The tiles also show where spycops returned as a manager, or had roles further up the hierarchy. The category ‘other officer’ is for police connected to the spycops units somehow, but who were not undercovers or managers within the units.
You can either search All of the categories on here, or filter further to UCO, manager or other officer to search the category individually and narrow down the results.
Targets provides short overviews of the groups infiltrated or ‘just’ reported on, according to the material disclosed, as well as a list of reports associated with that group under the documents tab of each article.
Police covers the different units that were involved with the spycops operations, either in the hierarchy, overseeing or investigating them. No individual officers here.
Inquiry is an extensive section explaining the complicated procedural workings of the Inquiry. It provides core participants and witnesses an in-depth understanding of what might be expected of them. Users with less background knowledge may wish to begin here.
Articles explained
Each profile page has the main article, and a second tab listing the associated documents, divided in several sections. If exhibits were submitted with a statement, this is indicated by a three dots button to display them in a dropdown. The same for when there is an index associated with a transcript. Articles in the section analysis have a third tab presenting the raw data that underpin the findings.
Each officer profile has a set of details about their deployment or involvement with the secret unit at the top of the page. The left-hand column has the contents of the article, the various sections are clickable. The Read More About suggests related articles of interest elsewhere within the site.
Within the articles you'll find three different kinds of icons, linking to other pages (provided they're finished), offering references or resources. Close them by clicking on the icon once more. Articles in the Inquiry section may have some hyperlinks to other pages as well.
The Document Database
The document database at of Spycops Research presents all documents released by the UCPI, plus a library of background material - the latest documents first.
They can be searched by keyword in the left-hand column, and further filtered by date, tranche, spycop, originator, group, and more. Each filter narrows the amount of documents you search in.
Disclosure is where you will find all files released by the Inquiry as part of its investigations. This includes the contemporaneous reports of spycops, related managerial correspondence and notes of meetings with MI5.
Statements and Transcripts has all witness statements, and opening and closing statements, as well as the transcripts of the hearings. The exhibits submitted with a statement, and the index of documents mentioned in the transcripts are part of this database too. Whether you are looking for a specific statement or transcript, or a collection of particular ones, this is the best place to start.
Procedural includes all documents from the moment the Inquiry started in 2015 which relate to procedural matters. These include anonymity applications, conduct of hearings and the framework for the tranches and the inquiries own investigations.
The Library is a collection of background material to understand the spycops scandal - essentially relevant reading sourced outside the Inquiry. This includes the various early official reviews of undercover policing.
The filtering fields follow the material: date, author, type, originator/publisher.
The hamburger menu
In the top-right corner of any page, you'll find three horizontal stripes - the so-called hamburger menu. It offers you a way back home, an introduction About the Spycop Research project as well as some background to its makers, the Undercover Research Group.
Most importantly though, the menu links to the Glossary and Acronyms - an extensive list explaining the alphabet soup used at the website and the many police and legal terms, to prevent you from getting lost.
Get me out of here!
From wherever you are at the site, you can use the search box in the upper right corner to find more profiles. To get back to the home page, you can also click on the green banner saying SPYCOPS RESEARCH.