Police promotions include first Latina deputy chief in St. Paul history

A ceremony for St. Paul police officers who have climbed the department ranks drew more than a hundred people this week, including many who celebrated the first Latina woman to earn a leadership rank.

Cmdr. Jack Serier was promoted to assistant chief at the ceremony Thursday. Cmdrs. Pamela Barragan, Joshua Lego and Dan Malmgren were named deputy chiefs.

Police Chief Axel Henry joined family and friends in applauding the four, adding that their work and leadership earned recognition.

"I recognize excellence. That's my job, and we have four excellent folks here today," Henry said.

He said the department must "make sure that we develop folks and create pathways so everyone can see the light — they can see the path."

For many in attendance, Barragan represents that path.

A native of Quito, Ecuador, she joined the department as a community liaison in 1996 after working at a yogurt stand in the city skyways and moonlighting at a bar on weekends. After joining the force as an officer two years later, she climbed the ranks, serving as unit commander for community partnerships. She was a finalist in the department's search for a new chief before Henry was appointed last fall.

After her mother pinned the new badge on her daughter, hugging her before joining the crowd in applause, Barragan thanked the department for being a place where her voice can be heard.

"There's a lot of diversity coming to Minnesota, and we need to be in those spaces," she said. "We need to make sure that people that represent different voices have the opportunity to be in the spaces [where] we can make change.

"We cannot just stay with the status quo. We want to make sure that things are progressing as our community is inquiring us to progress."

Some city residents have pushed for greater diversification in the department, and when Henry announced the promotions in an internal email in December, advocates asked city officials to add Black officers to the force's leadership team.

At the time, police spokesman Mike Ernster said there were two high-ranking Black officers whom the department hoped would gain well-rounded experience before being promoted.

The two could be joined by more officers of color who are part of the department's new recruitment effort. The effort is led by Sgt. Kou Yang, who hopes to diversify the department in order to better represent city residents.

According to the Census Bureau, 19% of St. Paul residents are Asian; 16% are Black; and 8.7% are Hispanic.

Rigo Aguirre, president of the National Latino Peace Officer Association's Minnesota Chapter, said Barragan's promotion could be a sign of good things to come. He said the new deputy chief has put countless hours into community outreach, and other law enforcement leaders might see her promotion as a sign of progress.

"Did she start out with maybe not as many people that look like her, that gave her that mentorship? Of course, she did. But somebody has to do it first. She's the first one," Aguirre said. "She made it. She fought hard; she worked hard. ... We're in very good hands.

"We just need to continue the promotion of diversity and getting people through the ranks."