December 2013 to June 2017

Head of Resilience and Security for the M25 Motorway at Connect Plus

Jon is a qualified Security Consultant and was Head of Resilience and Security for the M25 Motorway DBFO Contract on secondment from Atkins to Connect Plus delivering a thirty-year contract for Highways England. Jon was responsible for protecting the M25 Motorway assets, buildings, people and IT from terrorist and criminal threats, contingency planning, winter preparedness, incident management, business continuity and control rooms, with a staff of Sixty-Seven.

Jon and his Security Managers worked closely with the Regional Police Counter Terrorist Security Advisors (CTSA) and the Centre for the Protection of the National Infrastructure (CPNI) in assessing a large number of Critical National Infrastructure sites across the M25 Motorway Network and implementing security mitigations to protect the assets from terrorist and criminal threats. The Security Team also worked closely with all six Home Counties Police Forces, Local Authorities and other Stakeholders in managing risks and threats from criminal activity.

Substantial achievements included:

• Joined Connect Plus where he designed and implemented a CCTV Monitoring Network Security Centre, based at Dartford, capable of managing a wide range of CCTV Cameras, together with remote monitoring systems designed to protect critical structures and deter criminal offences at remote sites across the M25 Network. Jon managed and updated the security systems at Six Connect Plus Depots and Offices, including Access Control, CCTV, Security Gates and Fences and Fire Prevention/Detection systems.

April 2013 to November 2013

Head of Service Standards - Highways England

Jon established the Highways England Service Standards Unit to manage complaints and discipline, absence management and poor performance within the Traffic Officer Service and undertook investigations into Whistle-blowing allegations.

January 2005 to March 2013

Head of On-Road Operations East Area – Highways England

Jon was recruited by Highways England (Formally the Highways Agency) in January 2005 to lead the introduction of a Traffic Officer Service onto the Strategic Road Network because of his extensive operational experience with the Police Service, particularly as Head of Road Policing and the Hertfordshire Police Central Control Room Project.

Jon was one of the most experienced Operations Managers in Highways England responsible for managing 330 On-road Traffic Officers and Regional Control Centre (RCC) Operators working in the busiest region in the country.  The East Region Traffic Officers patrolled the road network dealing with on average 10,000 incidents each month, including 2,500 Immediate Incidents, 800 Road Traffic Collisions, 6,000 broken down vehicles, clearing debris and reducing congestion.  They were supported by Operators in the RCC who managed 38,000 telephone calls every month from the public and Emergency Services and deployed Traffic Officers and Highways England Service Providers in responding to incidents on the Network.

Jon led on planning for the Highways England response to the Olympics and worked as the Regional Gold Commander throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012 in the East Region, which was regarded as a huge success.  He also managed a significant change programme in response to the Governments Comprehensive Spending Review to efficiently and effectively deliver the Traffic Officer Service in light of budget cuts.  Jon helped to introduce the National Intelligence Model to Highways England and ensured there was an intelligence led deployment of Traffic Officers to incidents.

Substantial achievements included:

•        Joined the Highways Agency (now Highways England) on retirement from the Police in January 2005 and was responsible for establishing a Traffic Officer Service in East Region, covering some of the busiest roads in the country, including M25, M1, M4, M40 and M11 Motorways.  This included recruitment and training of 330 Traffic Officers and Control Room Operators, delivery of patrol vehicles, equipment, uniforms, buildings and technology, undertaking activities which the Highways Agency had not previously been involved.

•        Established extensive stakeholder relationships with Police, Fire, Ambulance and Local Authorities and was able to reassure them that the newly formed Traffic Officer Service would deliver the Service that was promised.

•        Developed his Management Team, who had very little knowledge or experience in managing incidents, enabling them to successfully manage more than 2,500 Immediate Incidents every month, including at least 80 Critical Incidents involving killed or seriously injured motorists.

•        Developed a customer focused culture with a new workforce with well-structured health and safety processes and procedures and full cooperation with Trade Union representatives and staff.

•        Led a team of Operational Managers in planning for the Olympic and Paralympic Games ensuring a successful multi-agency response to incidents on the Strategic Roads Network enabling the Games Family, spectators and the motoring public to enjoy the hugely successful Games.

Major challenges included

•        In a very short timeframe being able to introduce new members of staff into a new role for the Highways Agency working in a safety critical environment dealing with critical incidents with the necessary equipment, training and skills.

•        Developing a Regional Control Centre with its high dependency on technology systems and ensuring staff were competent and capable of operating the systems whilst working under extreme pressure in a demanding environment.

•        Being able to achieve the performance targets set by the Highways Agency for responding to incidents, clearing incidents and handling telephone calls, whilst dealing with a significantly high workload, with difficulties in recruitment and retention of staff and the introduction of a new workforce.

•        Ensuring the road network remained flowing during extreme weather conditions, including snow, flooding and high winds.  Working in partnership with Emergency Services, Agency Service Providers and Local Authorities in managing the response to the conditions and keeping the public informed through regular live TV and Radio broadcasts.

September 1971 to January 2005

Police Officer in Hertfordshire Constabulary

Police Superintendent Counter Terrorist Advisor 2003-2005

•        As a National CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear) Advisor worked in New Scotland Yard, London to give advice to Police Officers in the United Kingdom when dealing with white powder incidents following the anthrax attack in the USA.

•        Worked in a multi-agency environment preparing and planning for the response to a CBRN terrorist attack on the UK.  Presented to many Organisations on preparation for CBRN incidents and was Silver Commander for Hertfordshire Police in responding to any suspected CBRN incidents.

Police Superintendent Head of Road Policing 2002-2003

•        As Head of Road Policing for Hertfordshire managed 60 Police Traffic Officers responding to Road Traffic Collisions, completing investigations and undertaking enforcement activities to make the roads safer.  Developed partnership working with the County Road Safety teams and gave presentations on safer driving.  Responsible for managing the Air Support Unit and its response to incidents.

•        Performed as a Public Order Silver Commander and Firearms Incident Silver Commander, including on-call activities and managing response of specialist teams to incidents.

Police Superintendent Divisional Commander 2002

•      Command of 350 staff responsible for delivery of Policing in North Hertfordshire, including response teams, crime investigation, community policing and administrative functions.  Responsible for liaison with Local Authority and partner stakeholders in delivering the Crime Reduction Partnerships.

Police Superintendent Corporate Development Department 2000-2002 

•      Head of Audit and Inspection Department, working closely with Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary, to ensure Hertfordshire Police were efficient and effective in its delivery of Policing Services.  Also responsible for undertaking Staff Satisfaction and Public Satisfaction Surveys.  Managed the Data Protection Unit, Freedom of Information requests, Activity Based Costing Unit and Police Performance Unit.

Police Superintendent Boundary Change Project Manager 1999-2000

•      Project Manager responsible for significant changes to the Hertfordshire Police boundary, which necessitated transfer of Policing certain parts of the County from the Metropolitan Police and the transfer of buildings, assets, staff and Policing responsibilities.

Chief Inspector New Force Control Room Project 1994-1998

•      Project Manager for the development, design and implementation of a new Hertfordshire Police Control Room.  This required the movement of seven local Control Rooms’ staff, systems and functionality to a purpose-built Force Control Room.  This required Jon to become a PRINCE2 Project Practioner with the ability to manage a programme of change and undertake risk and benefit analysis, produce project documentation and manage a multi-million-pound budget.  Jon became one of the leading experts in Control Room design, producing a Control Room computer model to help in understanding the operating processes, activities and workload of the current Control Rooms’ and then be able to size and design the new Room. 

Police Inspector Force Control Room 1989-1993

•      In charge of the Force Operations Room (FOR) responsible for taking emergency 999 telephone calls from the public and deploying emergency response teams, including traffic, firearms, public order and crime, to the incidents.  As the FOR Inspector took command of all serious incidents and ensured the necessary resources were available and the incidents were managed effectively.

Police Community Inspector Ware Town 1985-1989

•         Responsible for a Community Team of Police Officers in Ware Town and for liaison with the local Town Council and parishioners and responding to non-emergency events.

Police Sergeant Firearms Licensing Officer 1982-1984

•      Responsible for the issuing of Firearms and Shotgun Licenses to members of the public on behalf of the Deputy Chief Constable.  Where necessary co-ordinating investigations and enquiries into the misuse of firearms, revocation of licenses and, where applicable, preparing and presenting the case to the Appeal Court.

Police Sergeant Custody and Patrol 1979-1981

•        Responsible for a shift of Police Patrol Officers at Welwyn Garden City and performing supervision of Officers attending incidents and undertaking Custody duties for the detention of prisoners.

Police Constable Response Driver 1974-1978

•        Performed as driver for the Incident Response Vehicle dealing with emergency incidents in Stevenage, arresting offenders and enforcement of traffic offences.  Performed as Acting Sergeant on many occasions.

Police Cadet 1971-1973 

Hobbies

•        A keen interest in sport;

•        Rugby player, coach and referee;

•        Former Trustee at Saracens Sport Foundation;

•        Tug of War;

•        Barbecue and Socialising.

Jon developed excellent team skills during many years of playing a range of sports.  Jon played rugby for Hertfordshire Police for more than 20 years, during which time he was Club Captain for four seasons, as well as Club Treasurer and Chairman.  Jon also represented the Police as a member of the County Tug of War team, as well as squash, football, lifesaving, swimming and athletics.

Jon was a Trustee for the Saracens Sports Foundation for 15 years, which is a charity that raises funds to deliver a number of projects which aim to inspire communities and change lives through the power of sport, using sport and the Saracens brand to engage children, young people and adults to make a positive change to the way they lead their lives.