Female Trooper Joins Georgia State Patrol In Cartersville

CARTERSVILLE, GA — Out of almost 800 Georgia State Patrol troopers statewide, only 14 are female — and one of them just joined the Cartersville post.

Trooper Kaitlyn Santos was the only female of 13 in her class to graduate trooper school on Nov. 6 in Forsyth. The newly minted trooper told Patch her duties would include assisting local police agencies, enforcing traffic laws, working vehicle accidents and helping Bartow citizens “the best I can.”

Despite being the only female in her class, Santos told Patch she “was not treated any differently” from her classmates, who she said “looked out for me like a sister and encouraged me to be the best I could be.

“As a female trooper, I hope to inspire other females to join the state patrol and show them they can complete the hard task of trooper school if they set their mind to it,” Santos said.

“Females are definitely the minority in the Georgia State Patrol,” said Lt. Col. Stephanie Stallings, the Patrol’s director of support and administrative operations, to Patch. “Trooper school is no easy task, and it is quite an accomplishment for anyone who successfully completes it, regardless of gender.”

Trooper cadets spend 20 weeks in classes and 12 weeks in field training. By the time they complete trooper school, newly graduated cadets have received more than 1,400 hours of training, including driving, defensive tactics, vehicle stops, Spanish, criminal law and criminal procedure, firearms and accident investigation.

Santos grew up in Connecticut, where her parents Kevin and Karen Simmons still live. “I am hoping they will move to Georgia as well,” Santos wrote, followed by a smiley emoji.