Crime & Safety
La Verne Police Chief Nick Paz To Retire At The End Of December
Colleen Flores will succeed Nick Paz as La Verne's chief of police and becomes the first woman in city history to lead the department.
LA VERNE, CA — La Verne will start the new year with a new police chief as the city's top cop announced he will be leaving the department at the end of the month.
Chief Nick Paz announced Monday his last day with the La Verne Police will be Friday. Paz has been in law enforcement for 38 years and first joined the department as a 19-year-old police cadet, according to his retirement announcement. He has been chief since 2016.
Paz said being the chief of police has been a pleasure, and he wouldn't trade anything for the career he's had in La Verne.
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"The ride has been exciting, and I’ve met some wonderful people along the way that helped guide me on a path to success," Paz said.
La Verne police Capt. Colleen Flores will take over the department starting Jan. 1. Flores was initially named as Paz's successor last year, according to the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin.
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At the time, Paz did not announce when he would retire from the department but approved of Flores as the next chief, the paper reported.
Her appointment was made official during the City Council's Dec. 20 meeting.
When she takes over in the new year, Flores will be La Verne's first woman chief of police in the city's history.
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