At Sopra Steria, we don’t just support policing transformation, we live it. With over 700 years of combined policing experience across our Public Safety Group, our team brings unparalleled insight to the challenges, pressures, and realities of modern policing. From front-line officers to senior leaders, control room operators to IT specialists, every individual we hire brings deep-rooted, lived experience of the force.
We understand the human element at every point of the journey, from the officer in the control room to the victim reporting a crime. We build technology that supports, not replaces, those human connections. And it’s this understanding – this depth and breadth of expertise – that allows us to partner with our customers, delivering meaningful transformational change.
This blog series introduces you to some of our colleagues whose careers span operational policing, leadership, and specialist roles. They know what it means to serve the public, support victims of crime, and safeguard officer wellbeing, because they’ve done it. Their unique perspectives inform the design and delivery of services that genuinely meet the needs of policing today.
We know policing, because we’ve lived policing.
Policing expertise within Sopra Steria: Meet James Johnson
With 11 years in policing, James Johnson brings a wealth of operational experience, insight, and a strong sense of purpose to his role. Inspired by his parents, both devoted to public service, James was drawn to a career where he could help others and protect communities.
That idealistic drive to protect others has remained a central thread throughout James's varied policing journey. Even now, in his role as Account Manager, that sense of purpose lives on – just delivered in a different way.
Career highlights and experience
James began his policing journey as a special constable with Hampshire Constabulary in 2011, volunteering his time alongside a full-time job. Enticed with the chance to make a real impact, he regularly clocked double the required hours, dedicating Friday and Saturday nights to the role.
He soon took on a full-time position as a police staff controller, handling 999 and 101 calls, and managing incidents in real time. James thrived in the high-pressure environment, balancing frontline contact with behind-the-scenes orchestration.
In 2015, amid a recruitment freeze across most Home Office forces, James joined the Ministry of Defence Police as a police constable. There, he became an authorised firearms officer, receiving high-level tactical training. However, the day-to-day reality of the role, focused on guarding secure sites, left him feeling unfulfilled. Despite the prestige and advanced training, James missed the connection to real-world policing and public service.
He returned to Hampshire to take on a supervisory role in the control room, leading a team and assisting in the management of critical incidents including pursuits and firearms deployments. Later, he joined South Wales Police as a public service supervisor, where he led a team of 18 during the challenges of the pandemic. Although he eventually left the force to return home to Southampton, his passion for policing never left him.
At Sopra Steria, James has found a way to stay closely connected to the policing world helping forces deliver better, smarter services with technology that genuinely meets the needs of officers and the public alike.
Putting people first
For James, policing has never just been a job – it’s a vocation. It can take a physical and emotional toll: the shift work, the missed family events, and the constant exposure to trauma. But he also talks about the immense pride in finishing a shift knowing he made a difference.
One moment that stands out is when he responded to a domestic violence incident –confronting a perpetrator and protecting the victim and her children. It was a harrowing experience but one that reaffirmed why James chose this path.
“There are jobs you walk away from thinking, ‘I’m so glad I went in today.’ That was one of them,” he says.
James also shares the reality of mental health challenges in policing. After years of managing trauma, a personal loss pushed him into crisis. He received counselling and is grateful for the support he received, a reminder of how vital mental health support is within the policing community.
He credits his resilience to the bond formed with his colleagues, – a camaraderie built through shared experience and the support of his family at home. These relationships, he says, were fundamental to carrying the emotional weight of the job.
Supporting policing through technology
James has seen firsthand how technology can either empower or hinder officers. “Policing is hard enough already,” he explains. “Good tech can make a real difference, but bad tech makes the job harder.”
Over the last 20 years, he’s witnessed huge shifts, particularly around mobility. Today, frontline teams can complete vital tasks like accessing information and updating records while on the move, and Sopra Steria are consistently actively exploring ways to support more flexible, responsive policing. In the control room, integration and interoperability are improving, allowing systems to work together more smoothly and helping teams manage demand and risk more effectively.
But there’s still work to do – especially when it comes to AI. James points to hesitancy among some leaders/decision makers, driven by misunderstanding or lack of technical knowledge. Sopra Steria is working to bridge that gap by offering free AI hot house workshops, helping forces explore strategic use cases and come away with tangible, trustworthy outcomes.
He also highlights how customer feedback is driving ongoing improvements to STORM, Sopra Steria’s Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) trusted by over 70% of UK police forces. By staying close to users and listening to their real-world challenges, the team ensures STORM evolves to meet modern policing demands. The creation of STORMShield, a tool to help supervisors support their team members by highlighting the levels of trauma they are exposed to, is an example of Sopra Steria building on the expertise and experiences of colleagues such as James.