Justin brings over 30 years of policing and public service experience to Sopra Steria, having retired from Police Scotland in 2022 and joined the company shortly after. His final years in the force were spent as part of the STORM project team, managing and maintaining the command-and-control system that is now central to his work. Justin's career reflects a deep understanding of operational policing and technical systems, making him a key bridge between police users and the technology that supports them.
Career highlights and experience
Justin began his policing career in 1992 as a response officer, dealing with everything from burglaries and assaults to missing persons and serious crimes. Over the years, he took on varied roles across computer crime investigations, Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and sexual offence-related training.
With two decades of frontline experience, he later transitioned to a project role focused on STORM, the command-and-control platform used by Police Scotland. He became integral in adapting and configuring the system to meet operational needs across the country.
His comprehensive knowledge of STORM, gained through years of use, implementation, and optimisation, enabled Justin to take up a new challenge after retirement. In 2022, he joined Sopra Steria as a client solutions consultant, bringing firsthand insight into how the system should support officers on the ground.
Putting people first
For Justin, joining the police was about more than wearing a uniform – it was about making a meaningful difference in people’s lives. He was drawn to the role out of a desire to help others, maintain order, and contribute to a safer society. His fondest memories include moments of real impact, reuniting missing children with their families, helping victims of crime, and the strong camaraderie with colleagues who shared those intense experiences.
Those people-first values carry through into his current role. Justin’s approach to system design and client support is grounded in a practical understanding of what officers and control room staff really need from technology. Having been a user himself, he knows how stressful and time-sensitive policing work can be and aims to deliver solutions that make the job easier, not harder.
Supporting policing through technology
In his role at Sopra Steria, Justin acts as a key liaison between police forces and the development teams behind STORM. He provides third-line technical support, answers configuration queries, and visits forces to offer advice on how to get the most from their systems. His deep operational knowledge means he can identify issues that others might miss and suggest improvements based on lived experience.
Technology, Justin says, plays a vital role in helping police manage growing demand with limited resources. Systems like STORM enable better prioritisation, faster response times, and accurate information sharing – all crucial when resources are stretched thin. He believes Sopra Steria is well-placed to support modern policing, not just through robust software but through people who genuinely understand the pressures of the job.
"We’re not just providing a product," Justin explains. "We’re helping police forces do their job better, because we understand what that job is."
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.