Dan Collins brings nearly two decades of experience in policing and public safety to his role at Sopra Steria. Starting out in 2005 as a Radio Deployment Officer in a police control room, Dan later moved into technical and training roles before joining Sopra Steria in 2012. His firsthand understanding of the pressures and priorities of policing now shapes how he supports control rooms with command-and-control technology.
Dan’s early ambition was to become a police officer, but medical restrictions around eyesight changed that path. Instead, he built a career from the inside of the control room, managing critical radio communications, taking 999 calls, and ultimately helping forces implement better systems from the ground up.
Career highlights and experience
Dan’s control room role meant he was often the first point of contact during high-pressure incidents. He handled everything from coordinating officer dispatch to responding to distressing 999 calls. After completing intensive six-month training, he spent several years working shifts, managing radio channels and supporting emergency services communication.
One pivotal moment in his career came while coordinating the initial response for high risk missing person on Dartmoor, where he helped coordinate a search for a missing child in severe weather, an experience that shaped his understanding of the life-and-death decisions involved in police communications.
Later, Dan transitioned to a project team that helped roll out the STORM command and control system. This move introduced him to Sopra Steria, where he joined as a technical consultant in 2012. His lived experience helped him bridge the gap between technology and frontline needs, offering practical, relevant insight that many purely technical roles can miss.
Putting people first
Dan’s career has always been rooted in helping others, from his early ambition to become a police officer to his years supporting colleagues on the frontline. While his eyesight prevented him from joining as an officer, his time in the control room allowed him to contribute in vital ways.
Working shifts with the same close-knit team built strong bonds and a deep sense of trust. Dan recalls the camaraderie fondly, a shared commitment to supporting one another through difficult calls and emotional incidents. “You weren’t just coworkers,” he says. “You were going through the tough stuff together.”
That sense of purpose is something Dan still carries with him at Sopra Steria. His understanding of the human side of policing, from public distress to team wellbeing, guides how he approaches technical problem-solving today.
Supporting policing through technology
Now a Delivery Manager at Sopra Steria, Dan applies his hands-on control room experience to improve technology that supports officers and staff. Motivated by a challenge he had long observed in the control room, supporting team wellbeing under pressure, Dan conceived the idea for STORMShield.
“Sopra Steria afforded me a unique opportunity to bring this idea to life,” Dan says, “by marrying my real-world experience with the company’s technical capability.” STORMShield, now a free tool within our STORM software, gives supervisors real-time insights into team stress levels, enabling more proactive and compassionate support. Dan’s background gives him a rare ability to turn operational pain points into practical, user-focused solutions that make a real difference.
One key insight he brings is the importance of understanding context. “Someone in a control room might raise an issue that to the untrained eye may seem inconsequential, but if you’ve done the job, you realise it’s actually a major barrier,” he explains. That perspective helps ensure that tools like STORM are not just functional but truly fit for purpose.
Dan also sees how evolving demands on policing, from mental health callouts to reduced resources, place even greater pressure on systems. Sopra Steria’s role, he says, is to develop solutions that respond to those real-world challenges, from integration with partner agencies to improving visibility of demand and wellbeing.
“It’s not just about software,” Dan says. “It’s about supporting people to do difficult, important work.”
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.