I went to University at the Royal Military College of Science where most of my fellow students were serving army officers who’d returned from the Gulf conflict. My plan had always been to go to Sandhurst and seek a commission with the British Army. My Mum wasn’t so keen, however, and made a different suggestion.
Within a week of completing my final exams in 1994, I found myself at Essex Police headquarters being handed a uniform. Five years later, through the force, I had met my future wife and we’ve since had two daughters who are also involved in policing.
It was never my childhood dream, as many people always say, to be a police officer, but I did always know I wanted to find something that would challenge me as a human being while giving me a sense of belonging in society. I wanted to be able to give back, and policing felt quite natural to me.
Driving around with flashing blue lights is one thing, but what always interested me was trying to help people deal with problems and challenges they faced – securing justice for victims and their families.
Different challenges, similar skills
Across the 30 years that followed, the majority of my career was spent in detective roles. Those roles were evenly split between: protecting vulnerable people; running child and domestic abuse investigations and functions; and the more traditional side of crime including homicide investigations and serious organised crime.
They present different challenges, but require similar skills in terms of the level of determination needed to pursue all reasonable lines of enquiry and to keep an open mind. Policing is a search for the truth and being able to present those truths so that a court can make a fair and accurate assessment of someone’s guilt.
However, there is a feeling that police officers only deal with criminals. I was always focused on being as good as I could be for the victim. Listening to them and trying to understand their trauma, and then representing them through my work. Then there are situations where you’re investigating criminals, who also might need help with drug abuse, for example.
It’s not just about doing the right thing, but doing that right thing in the right way, and that was always at the forefront of my mind.
A different angle
In part, I suppose it was this set of feelings and attitudes I had towards the way I believe policing should be conducted that led me to retire from the force in July 2024 to pursue a new career. I’ve still got lots of energy and get a real sense of satisfaction from helping society and the police force more generally. Now, I’m looking to do so from a different angle.
I was attracted to BAE Systems Digital Intelligence through that shared goal of protecting the UK and its interests, especially through that lens of defence and national security. I saw an opportunity to protect individual citizens and communities together. All the ingredients are there to marry the two organisations and target the work that Digital Intelligence does towards the areas of policing I know would greatly benefit from innovation and new ways of operating.
In particular, the role of data and the opportunity it presents has never been greater. Being able to harness engineering ingenuity and skills against problems that exist in law enforcement is a perfect fit and it gives me huge satisfaction to bring the two together.
A domestic focus with an international reach
2025 marks the start of a renewed focus on the Crime, Justice and Law Enforcement campaign domain. This is a key milestone in our mission to provide cutting-edge solutions for law enforcement agencies both in the UK and globally.
We’re committed to addressing the rapidly evolving landscape of crime and national security, where the lines between traditional crime and hostile state threats are increasingly blurred. Our team will aim to enhance decision-making, improve outcomes, and ultimately contribute to a safer, more secure society by helping law enforcement agencies access, process and act upon the data at their disposal.
The challenges in law enforcement today are not only about fighting crime, but also about leveraging technology and data to stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated threats.
Find me, phone me, email me
Reflecting on my first six months with Digital Intelligence, I’m enjoying the variety in the work we do, meeting talented people committed to achieving success.
Mostly, I’m enjoying the same aspects I did while policing – helping and guiding colleagues around me in the early stages of their career, while staying true to what I believe in as an individual.
While business objectives and priorities are important, no organisation exists without the people in it. As someone at the other end of the career journey, it’s a responsibility to help them achieve their dreams and ambitions.
For me, people often talk about the differences between the public and private sectors, but the people element doesn’t change. Organisations of any kind work well when talented people work hard, drive towards shared values and are part of an enabling culture.
After about 12 years in the police force I was operating at a senior level, where I quickly came to understand that, as a leader, you’re accountable for the actions of those you lead. But it doesn’t give you a monopoly on being right. Another key – and probably overused – phrase I’ve brought with me from policing to my current role, is that everyone should have a voice. Luckily, I’ve also had training for that with two daughters having no issue telling me when I’m wrong, and I absolutely welcome that.
As we continue this exciting journey, I urge people I work with to connect with me and share their ideas. There’s always a conversation to be had, and it’s only through these conversations that we grow as individuals, and as a business.