Manchester Police Chief Lisa Parker Set To Retire

MANCHESTER, NJ — Manchester Township Police Chief Lisa D. Parker has decided to retire after 32 years of service in the township police department.

Mayor Kenneth Palmer announced Parker's impending retirement Monday night during the Township Council meeting. Her last day will be June 30, Palmer said.

Capt. Robert "Bobby" Dolan, who has 29 years of service in Manchster, will replace her as chief, Parker said by email Monday night.

Parker joined the police department May 1, 1989, and worked her way through the ranks, serving in all of the department's major bureaus and units before she took the oath as chief on March 2, 2015.

"The Manchester Township Police is one of the most well-regarded law enforcement agencies in the state of New Jersey," Parker said in 2015, days before she was sworn in. "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."

Palmer, who took office as mayor in January 2015, on Monday night said Parker has done just that.

"She has left Manchester a better place," Palmer said.

"They say you will know when you know …. And it’s true!" Parker said Monday night. "I just got to a point where I had completed everything that I had promised I would do and it felt right. I’m so excited about retirement!"

"I love my job! I love the people I work with, they are truly amazing! I just trust in God that he will show me where he needs me to be to help others in the next phase of my life," she said.

Parker, who also holds the title of public safety director, spearheaded the township's response to the coronavirus pandemic, Palmer said, guiding the township through the changes and adjustments needed to procedures over the last year.

The pandemic response isn't the only place she has left her mark in the department and on Manchester, however.

Before she became chief, Parker implemented a Victim Intervention Program (VIP) as part of her master’s thesis. The 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. Parker, who was a detective at the time, was recognized with the 1998 Women of Influence award for her work in domestic violence.

Since she became chief, the Manchester police department was one of two pilot programs in Ocean County for the Blue HOPE program, where those who are addicted to drugs or alcohol can seek help through the police department. Manchester and Brick were the initial programs, first titled Blue HARP but since renamed.

Manchester's police department also implemented the "Not Even Once" education program to urge children and teens to stay away from drugs and alcohol. The program has become a model for similar programs in other towns.

Parker, who grew up as the daughter of a police chief — her father, Larry Parker Sr., was the police chief in Stafford Township for more than 20 years — carried with her some of the programs and standards of her father's department, including a rigorous physical and mental testing process for hiring new officers. Read more: Like Father, Like Daughter: Manchester Chief Follows Dad's Example

Training has been an ongoing focus, and among the areas of emphasis has been de-escalation of situations to avoid use of deadly force. In late May, a woman walking down a street armed with a knife and threatening harm was disarmed through use of de-escalation techniques. Read more: Manchester Police Disarm Knife-Wielding Woman In Middle Of Road

Parker earned 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. Chief Parker also completed the FBI-LEEDA trilogy (Executive, Command, and Supervision Leadership) courses, the Fairleigh Dickinson University Executive Leadership course, and FBI National Academy training.

Parker was promoted to patrol sergeant in 2002 and then assigned to lead the Investigations Bureau in 2003. In 2006 she was promoted to lieutenant and to captain in 2011, overseeing all civilian and sworn personnel, and was assigned to manage the Office of Professional Standards. She revised the department's Field Training Program for newly hired officers and introduced a mentoring training program for newly promoted sergeants.

Other programs instituted include the Special Needs Identification program; the 911eye program, where 911 callers can allow Manchester police to connect through their smartphone cameras to see what is happening at a scene; the Ring Doorbell neighborhood crime prevention program, and re-accreditation through the New Jersey State Chiefs of Police.

The township also launched the Division of Emergency Services in March 2020 under Parker's leadership.

"It’s not about the destination," Parker said Monday night. "It’s all about the journey and how many people you can help along the way. I’m so blessed to have been a police officer for 32 years, but there’s life after law enforcement," she said.