Like Father, Like Daughter: Manchester Chief Follows Dad's Example

Lisa Parker will tell you she can’t tell you the exact moment she decided to be a police officer.

Larry Parker Sr. will tell you he never pushed his daughter to become one.

They both will tell you one thing, however: They cherish the close relationship they have.

The Parkers celebrated Father’s Day with a police chief in the family again -- Larry Sr. retired as chief of police in Stafford Township in 2010, but Lisa is nearing her fourth full month as the police chief in Manchester. While there have been father-son combinations of police chefs, it’s rare for a woman to be named a chief.

But a lifetime of watching her father set the stage for where Lisa Parker is today.

“Ever since I was a little girl I’ve been able to watch how law enforcement is a family,” Parker said in April, when she was sworn in as the Manchester police chief, succeeding Brian Klimakowski. “I’ve been part of that dynamic.”

But observing it as a kid and actually becoming part of law enforcement are two different things. Lisa Parker had to work hard to prove herself, her father said.

“There’s no shortcuts,” he said. “Nothing was given to her.” She followed his example, working hard at every aspect of the job, from the coursework to making sure she was every bit as physically fit as the male officers who went through the Ocean County Police Academy, where Larry Parker was the fitness instructor.

“She hung in there with them,” Larry Parker said. ”She always excelled.”

And she has continued to excel, he said, not only on the job but in life: “She’s a great daughter, mother and wife,” he said.

“I know how tough the road was for her,” Larry Parker Sr. said.

At her swearing-in, Larry Parker Sr. held the Bible as Lisa took the oath, the pride of father and daughter palpable in the crowded Manchester Township courtroom.

“There’s no crying in law enforcement,” she said, the emotion of the moment clear on both their faces even as they both grinned and the observers chuckled. 

“My dad and I have a very close relationship,” Lisa Parker said after the ceremony. “Having him here meant everything.”

All anyone needed to see was the smile on Larry Parker’s face to see a father’s pride in his daughter’s success -- a pride that no doubt made this Father’s Day extra special.