International Women’s Day 2025: Meet GMP’s top female cop

As we celebrate International Women’s Day today (Saturday 8 March 2025) we want to highlight the achievements of women in policing. Our most senior female police officer, Assistant Chief Constable Stephanie Parker, has spent a career striving to protect vulnerable people – particularly women and girls.

From a young age, ACC Parker always wanted to join the police, and whilst at university, she volunteered as a special constable to see what policing was really like – and loved it.

ACC Parker said: “As soon as I got my degree, I successfully applied to join GMP. I was 21 when I joined and I’ve been here for 25 years. I started work as a response officer at Astley Bridge in Bolton.

“Over the years I moved up the ranks, moving into the Child Protection Investigation Unit (CPIU) in 2003 and I was promoted to Sergeant in CPIU in 2010. I was then promoted to Detective Inspector and stayed in the City of Manchester North Division for three years, managing the Public Protection Investigation Unit. I moved back to Bolton as Detective Inspector in CID in 2019.” 

Prior to being promoted to an Assistant Chief Constable in September 2024, ACC Parker was Chief Superintendent and District Commander for Bolton.

Her role now involves protecting vulnerable people, which includes some ‘very harrowing and challenging’ cases, but ACC Parker values the difference we are able to make to the lives of vulnerable people which ‘makes it all worthwhile’.

ACC Parker added: “I see it as my duty to bring these issues to the forefront of policing – and ensuring that our frontline officers are fully trained and equipped to understanding the complexities whilst having compassion and expertise to deal with vulnerable people.

“Over the course of the past 25 years, I have witnessed the role of women in the police grow and evolve. From the barriers female officers faced historically, there are now absolutely no limits on what women can achieve in the police, both in terms of rank and specialist roles.

“Along with many of my female colleagues, I am proud to have worked tirelessly to ensure that women in the policing family have as many opportunities in their careers as possible.”

Policing brings many different challenges and women in policing will be trying to balance family life with work schedules. Any rank and role has its own challenges and demands and trying to find time and energy for your family, whilst protecting them from the demands of your role, can be particularly difficult. 

ACC Parker said: “I think policing has come a very long way in the last few years, with mentoring, workplace flexibility and networking opportunities. Of course there is still work to be done, but with so many women in leadership positions, there has never been a better time to ensure that policing is held as a benchmark of true gender equality.

“I think that all leaders in policing will have their own unique style of leadership, irrespective of gender.  The ability to communicate openly and candidly being a woman can definitely bring different experience to the role, but I do recognise the importance of being the most senior female police officer in GMP, and the example that I can set for future generations of female leaders.”

There are several vacancies open to join GMP, whether as an officer or staff. ACC Parker would encourage women from all backgrounds to join the force.

She added: “Take the plunge – there is so much support out there for women in the police, at every step of the process and throughout your career – it will be the best decision you make.

"If you have the right values, of fairness, integrity and courage, and if you have the desire to make positive change in the community then policing is the career for you, and there really is no limit to where it could take you.

“There are few careers out there that can match policing for the opportunities it can offer, and the friendships you will make.”