Paul joined Merseyside Police in 1990 and performed a variety of uniformed and CID roles as a Constable and Sergeant. In 2001 Paul was promoted to Detective Inspector and took charge of the Stolen Vehicle Squad prior to transfer to the Force Robbery Team where he acted as the Senior Investigating Officer for the Force Street Crime Initiative.

Following a short period with the Force Major Incident Team, Paul was promoted to Detective Chief Inspector in December 2003 and was posted to Liverpool North Borough Command Unit.

It was there he gained National accreditation as a Senior Investigating Officer, having been involved in the management of numerous major investigations including murders and IED deployments.

In January 2007, Paul took charge of the new Merseyside Police Crime Faculty which re-established Merseyside on the National Map of Investigative Training. In January 2008, Paul was promoted to the rank of Detective Superintendent and has been posted to the Matrix Team as the investigative and operational lead.