Capt. Lisa D. Parker, a veteran officer with nearly 26 years of service to Manchester Township, will take the oath as Manchester’s next Chief of Police on Monday, March 2, 2015. She will succeed Chief Brian J. Klimakowski, who is retiring after 28 years of exemplary service.
Capt. Parker began her law enforcement career in Manchester Township on May 1, 1989, in the Patrol Division. She has worked in all of the Police Division’s major bureaus and units, and is grateful to have served under all of the Police Division’s previous Chiefs. Mayor Kenneth Palmer recommended Capt. Parker’s appointment as Chief during the February 23 Township Council Meeting. She is scheduled to take the Chief’s Oath at 9 a.m. on March 2 in the Municipal Complex Courtroom.
“The Manchester Township Police is one of the most well regarded law enforcement agencies in the State of New Jersey. Nothing makes me more proud than becoming the next Chief and continuing to uphold the tradition of excellence set by those leaders who came before me,” Capt. Parker said.
Among her accomplishments, Capt. Parker became a Detective in 1995 and while working in that capacity implemented a Victim Intervention Program (VIP) as part of her Master’s Thesis. This program helped to increase police officers’ knowledge of domestic violence, empower victims, and stop violence through strict law enforcement. The VIP Program became a model for the State of New Jersey, and Capt. Parker was awarded the 1998 Women of Influence award for her work in domestic violence.
Capt. Parker was promoted to Sergeant in 2002 and a year later was assigned to lead the Investigations Bureau. In 2006, Capt. Parker was promoted to Lieutenant in the Patrol Division, and in 2011 she became Captain, overseeing civilian and sworn personnel and running the Office of Professional Standards. In this role, Capt. Parker initiated the revision to the Field Training Program and introduced a mentoring training program for new sergeants. Capt. Parker also directed improvements to the hiring process and supervised changes to employee background investigations, ensuring only the best candidates are hired. More recently, Capt. Parker implemented the narcotics enforcement team, which has found great success in combating the area’s growing drug problem.
Capt. Parker is the daughter of Larry D. Parker, Sr., who retired as Stafford Township’s Chief of Police in 2005 after 47 years of combined military and law enforcement experience. Her father’s example of selfless public service led Capt. Parker into law enforcement with an emphasis on advocating for those in need. She is also the wife of retired Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Capt. Jeff Harper, who retired with 29 years of distinguished service.
Following in the Manchester Township Police tradition, Capt. Parker is an advocate of higher education and has completed many prestigious Leadership programs. She holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Central Michigan University and graduated from the West Point Leadership and Command program, where she now serves as an instructor. Capt. Parker also completed the FBI-LEEDA Executive Leadership course and Fairleigh Dickinson University Executive Leadership course.