With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Josephine Serrano Collier, First Latina LAPD Officer, Dies At 91
Josephine Serrano Collier, who became the first Latina LAPD officer when she joined the force more than 60 years ago, has died at the age of 91.
Collier died on Feb. 25 at her home in Arizona, according to an LAPD press release.
Collier, who grew up in Lincoln Heights, worked on building P-38 Ventura fighter planes for Lockheed before being let go in favor of returning male veterans, according to the LAPD. Against her family's wishes, she applied to become a police officer in 1946. She was one of only nine out of 200 female applicants to make it to the force.
When her all-female class graduated, they received no ceremony, didn't get diplomas and didn't get a gun, according to the Women's Peace Officer Archives. When Serrano was transferred to the Lincoln Heights jail, she wore a nurse's outfit because no uniforms for women were created at the time. She would often work the night beat around Pershing Square, where she would arrest men looking for prostitutes along with her fellow lady cops.
Support for LAist comes from
It was in the LAPD when she met Darwin "Jack" Collier, whom she would marry. She eventually had to retire in 1960 due to back problems, and worked in the L.A. job corps before moving with her husband to Idaho and then to Arizona, where she died on Feb. 25.
Chief Charlie Beck had this to say about Collier's passing:
“In great sadness but with the utmost gratitude, our Department thanks Josephine for her sacrifices and for breaking the lines that divided women from many assignments in the early history of LAPD,” said Chief Beck. “Those sacrifices and her commitment opened the door for many women and Latinas in the Department, setting the stage for future generations.”
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
It will be the second national day of protest against President Donald Trump. -
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures. -
The university says the compact, as the Trump administration called it, could undermine free inquiry and academic excellence. -
Metro officials said it will be able to announce an opening date “soon.” -
While working for the county, the DA’s office alleges that 13 employees fraudulently filed for unemployment, claiming to earn less than $600 a week. -
The L.A. County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted to declare immigration enforcement actions a local emergency.
Best of LAist