Commissioner McLaren started her career with Fife Constabulary in 1996 where she served in several operational and community roles.
In 2015, she was promoted to Chief Superintendent and appointed Divisional Commander of Fife Division where she led various operations and events. She was later selected to lead a team producing the first long term strategy for policing in Scotland.
In June 2018, she was promoted to Assistant Chief Constable responsible for Operational Change and Resilience and in June 2019, ACC McLaren became the Executive Lead for Organised Crime, Counter Terrorism and Intelligence.
In December 2020, she joined City of London Police on promotion to Assistant Commissioner responsible for the Economic Crime and Cybercrime.
In January 2022 she took up her appointment as Commissioner, City of London Police. The first female commissioner in the City’s history.