Women Finding Work With State Highway Patrol

Staff Lt. Brenda Collins never had a burning desire to become a state trooper. But while going through training at the Academy in 1987 she definitely caught the bug.

“When I became a cadet and went out and rode with sergeants that I had, it was something that was in my blood,” said Collins.

There are currently 137 women who are part of a force of more than 1,500. As commander of Recruitment and Selection at the Training Academy, Collins makes sure potential cadets have proper support from home.

“It’s so important for us to know that not only does the person, or the woman, join the Highway Patrol, but the family joins the Highway Patrol”, Collins said.

In the late 1970s female troopers had to cut their hair short for the job and face their male counter-parts in a boxing class. Even though long hair and makeup is now acceptable, female troopers say they are still mistaken for their male counterparts.

“Sometimes people still call you Sir the whole time, or before people even get a look at you they always assume — not always, but sometimes — they assume that we’re all male, all male troopers,” said OHP Trooper Kari Riesbessell.

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