- Stephanie Mkhlian
- (626) 351-1917
- Stephanie.Mkhlian@asm.ca.gov
Sacramento, CA – As part of an annual recognition of Women’s History Month in the State Capitol, Assemblymember Chris Holden announces the City of La Verne, Chief of Police, Colleen Flores as a Woman of Distinction for the 41st Assembly District.
“Chief Flores emulates the characteristics of a key leader, her unique approach to involving community members and stakeholders when resolving issues makes her a champion for safety,” said Assemblymember Holden. “I am excited to honor Chief Flores today and the community of La Verne is lucky to have her.”
Colleen Flores assumed her influential role as the city’s 22nd Chief of Police and first female Chief in the department's 116-year history in January 2022. She officially began her law enforcement career as an Explorer with the Upland Police Department and then became a cadet for the Chino Police Department in 1994. She then worked as an officer for the Arcadia Police Department for over a decade. During her career, Chief Flores pursued a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the University of Phoenix as well as a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Woodbury University. She also completed Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) with Command College in 2018. This 14-month leadership course is a selective program in which only 24 candidates across California are chosen to participate. The curriculum focused on making adaptive decisions and finding solutions to future issues that will be faced in law enforcement, such as the threat of drones and the impact that self-driving cars will have on highway patrol.
In 2018, Chief Flores was the first female police officer to be appointed Captain within the LVPD. As Captain, she was responsible for many Departmental programs such as Uniformed Patrol Division, the Traffic Enforcement Bureau, Reserve Forces Bureau, Training Bureau and the Foothill Special Enforcement Team (FSET).
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