in june 2009, she was promoted to the rank of assistant commissioner. she was the first woman to hold that post. she served as acting deputy commissioner in late 2011 and 2012 during a vacancy in the office. she oversaw the met's security preparations for the security operations of the 2012 london olympics. dick retired from the met in 2015 to accept a position at the foreign office. but she returned in 2017 upon being selected by the home office to succeed bernard hogan-howe as commissioner of the metropolitan police, becoming the first woman to hold that position.