At Sopra Steria, we know that real operational experience creates better solutions. Andy’s career - supporting frontline policing through IT and now helping forces drive digital transformation - shows how deep knowledge and innovation come together to deliver real change.
Career highlights and experience
Andy started his policing career in 2008, joining West Yorkshire Police as a repairs and installations technician. His role involved visiting police stations across the region, from remote outposts to busy custody suites. This gave him a full view of how different parts of the force operated and the critical role technology played in daily policing.
In 2010, Andy was promoted to Computer Officer. This moved him closer to frontline operations, as he began working with STORM - the command and control system used across the force. Andy took part in control room training, learning how call takers and dispatchers managed emergency and non-emergency incidents using STORM.
Spending significant time in the control room, Andy developed a real understanding of how technology supported, and sometimes complicated, the critical work of policing. He later supported a major project to implement STORM for the National Police Air Service (NPAS), showing how the system could be adapted for completely different types of operational need.
In 2014, after being approached for a new opportunity, Andy joined Sopra Steria as a Technical Consultant, covering forces across the north of England. He now works with customers nationwide, helping them use STORM more effectively and shaping solutions to meet operational challenges.
Putting people first
Although Andy was never a sworn police officer, he always felt like part of the policing family. His work inside the control room, sitting alongside call takers, dispatchers and supervisors, gave him a deep understanding of the pressures they faced every day.
Andy learned early on that technology must serve the people using it. It should make their work easier, not more complicated. Spending real time in the control room helped him see how even small technical changes could have a big impact on staff under pressure.
A pivotal moment for Andy came during the Olympic Torch relay event. Supporting a major public operation required adapting STORM to manage hundreds of extra officers and new types of incidents. Andy moved from providing technical support to playing a key role in operational planning - configuring systems, advising control room leaders, and helping ensure everything ran safely and smoothly. It was a turning point that made him realise how vital it is to align technology closely with operational needs.
Today, Andy still applies the same approach. He focuses on making sure every change he supports is practical, user-focused and helps front-line staff and the public they protect.
Supporting policing through technology
Andy has seen first-hand how technology has transformed modern policing. When he started his career, officers relied on radios and handwritten notes. Now, mobile technology, real-time information sharing and cross-force collaboration are everyday parts of police work.
STORM has evolved too. It now supports better prioritisation of incidents, faster decision making, and more efficient use of officers' time. Features like mobile access mean officers can receive critical updates in the field without relying on radio contact. Incident transfer between forces has become smoother, helping to break down barriers and improve public service.
Andy plays a key role in helping forces unlock these benefits. He works directly with police teams, understanding their challenges and offering solutions shaped by his operational experience. Often, he can identify improvements forces had not yet spotted themselves, helping them work smarter and more efficiently.
He has been heavily involved in initiatives such as STORMShield, which monitors call taker and dispatcher welfare in real time. By identifying when staff are under pressure, forces can intervene earlier, supporting the mental health and wellbeing of their teams.
Andy also supports the development of enhanced CRM systems that give forces better visibility of public demand, not just emergency incidents, but every kind of contact. This helps forces plan more accurately and manage limited resources more effectively.
For Andy, technology is not just about systems or software, it is about giving police officers, control room staff and support teams the tools they need to protect the public more efficiently, safely and compassionately.
Read more from our policing expertise in Sopra Steria series where we’ve spoken to some of our colleagues whose careers span operational policing, leadership, and specialist roles.