[2][3] Spence is the former president of the British Association for Women in Policing and was the ACPO lead on citizen focus issues.
After a period of service, which included postings to CID, community policing, the force communications centre, the Family and Child Protection Unit, the Press Office and uniform patrol, she was seconded to the Association of Chief Police Officers secretariat in London for two years as a Temporary Chief Inspector.
[citation needed] On returning to Avon and Somerset Spence undertook a number of operational roles before being promoted to Superintendent and posted to North Bristol.
In 1999 she was appointed to Assistant Chief Constable for Thames Valley Police, where she held the Corporate Development portfolio.
[citation needed] She was appointed to Deputy Chief Constable for Cambridgeshire Constabulary in April 2004 and was responsible for operational policing for the county.