I am a Lecturer on all Abertay University criminology programmes and currently serve as interim Head of the Deppartment of Sociological and Psychological Sciences. I am an Abertay University alumnus, having completed both undergraduate and postgraduate studies here.

My research interests forcus on policing, with particular emphasis on police culture, public trust and confidence, public engagement, and police legitimacy. I have a broad interest in policing research generally and have most recently undertaken research work examining the police response to Covid-19, policing critical incidents, police talent development, and community policing.

Prior to entering academia, I served as a police officer in both Scotland and England, reaching the rank of Detective Chief Superintendent. During my policing career, I undertook several secondments to UK national policing and intelligence agencies and spent 3 years working with Europol in the Netherlands. My professional policing expertise lies primarily in the investigation of serious and organised crime, criminal intelligence, inter-agency cooperation, transnational investigations and covert policing. Immmediately prior to retiring from the police service, I was Head of the East Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit.