Katy joined Thames Valley Police in 2000, working her way to Assistant Chief Constable for Crime after 24 years and leading on the force's response to Violence Against Women and Girls. In November 2024, Katy took up the position of Deputy Chief Constable at Gloucestershire Constabulary. Katy is also the NPCC lead for Investigations and the Editor-in-Chief of the College of Policing Publication ‘Going Equipped’.

Katy completed her Master's in Police Leadership and Management at Warwick Business School in 2015. She has a keen academic interest in domestic abuse, and published a book with colleagues titled Policing Domestic Abuse – Risk, Policy & Practice, published by Routledge in 2022. Katy continues to work academically in this field, now focusing on Teenage Relationship Abuse with Dr Ruth Weir at the VISION consortium at City St George's, University of London, where she is an Honorary Research Fellow and Practitioner in Residence.

In January 2026, Katy became a Trustee for a new charity called ‘It Does Matter’ which focuses on supporting victims to report Non-Contact Sexual Offences.