Michael's books are with Ashgate, Manchester University Press and Palgrave Macmillan. His articles have appeared in a range of leading journals, including Contemporary Security Policy, The Irish Jurist, The Irish Criminal Law Review and Irish Studies in International Affairs. His funders have included the European Union and Irish Research Council. He has delivered keynotes to a range of international academic and security sector partners, authored numerous conference papers and chaired or led dozens of conferences in Ireland, UK, US and various EU states. His was the first external academic review of Irish national security policy while other major challenges his work has addressed have included the ethical risks of using Big Data in law enforcement intelligence and how blue light and security organisations can better stimulate innovation.
Joining UCLan in 2018, Michael served first as Head of the School of Forensic and Applied Science, in which role he led, among other projects, a major restructure of the school leading, eventually, to its successful merger with the School. He also served on the board of the Lancashire Forensic Science Academy, a joint partnership between UCLan and Lancashire Constabulary. His current role is focussed is upon strengthening our international profile in policing research and supporting us in the many ways we work with partners in the delivery of a more efficient and effective policing service. Michael also enjoys teaching and supervision and his particular focus is on postgraduate research. Now, with a young family, Michael is working part-time.
As a senior police officer, Michael’s command positions included Head of 24/7 (Response) Policing and Neighbourhood Policing Superintendent. His academic career has included professorial, lecturing and teaching roles at Liverpool Hope University, University of Limerick, National University of Ireland, Galway and University College Cork. Michael is a former IRCHSS Government of Ireland Scholar at University College Dublin, where he studied for his PhD under Professor Ben Tonra. His wider contributions have included serving as founding director of a research centre investigating moral and ethical implications of Big Data and AI for policing and as academic advisor to various national leads and working groups of the UK's National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC). Michael started his career as a radio, television and print journalist in Ireland specialising mainly in crime, security and the Peace Process in Northern Ireland. He is a previous recipient of Ireland's Radio Journalist of the Year award.
