Santa Fe Standard

From March 16, 2023 post.

SFSO Sergeant Carolina Brandle

Santa Fe County Sheriff Sergeant Carolina Brandle is the highest-ranking commissioned female commander at the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office. She is assigned to the Community Support Services division for deputy recruitment, training, and community public safety outreach.

Sergeant Brandle’s life story is an American narrative that corresponds with many life chronicles experienced by emigrants relocating to the United States who seek greater possibilities for life advancement and prosperity for their families and children.

As a one-year-old, she moved to Santa Fe with her parents, who were school teachers and residents of Jalisco, Mexico. Her parents decided to settle in Santa Fe, where they established their family’s US origins. Sgt. Brandle attended elementary, junior high, and high school in Santa Fe and is the eldest of three siblings. 

As a young woman, she had an enthusiasm, fondness, and talent for music, specifically singing. While in high school, she joined a mariachi group as a singer, performing Boleros, Rancheros, and Trios. Later, she also found time to perform with an all-female band.

After graduating high school, she became a first responder, working as an emergency room technician. She then decided to pursue a career as a law enforcement officer. Sgt. Brandle was accepted into the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy as a cadet, where she completed her coursework and graduated in 2011 as a commissioned New Mexico law enforcement officer. She then joined the ranks at the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.

As a newly minted Santa Fe County Deputy Sheriff, Sgt. Brandle was assigned to patrol shifts, eventually working her way up the ranks to the position of Detective in the agency’s criminal investigation division. She was then promoted to corporal and subsequently to the level of Sergeant.

Her life experience, including her identity as an Indigenous, bilingual woman, has been a tremendous asset to the sheriff’s office and our community. Sgt. Brandle has a deep conviction to help children and youth in our community who are victims of child abuse.  According to Sgt. Brandle, her bilingual skill set, “has afforded me the ability to communicate in a way that gains people’s trust, especially when dealing with individuals and situations involving trauma or high stress. Speaking with someone in their first language, especially as a law enforcement officer, allows you to de-escalate a situation and provide those persons a sense of safety, which is crucial in this profession.”

Over the years, as a Deputy Sheriff and commander, Sgt. Brandle has worked diligently to raise thousands of dollars for nonprofit organizations that help children and families dealing with cancer diagnoses. She has also worked closely with the New Mexico Children Youth and Families Department (CYFD) when handling child abuse cases. In 2019, New Mexico CYFD recognized her exemplary work managing and investigating cases of child abuse as a Santa Fe County Deputy Sheriff.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office recognizes Sergeant Carolina Brandle for her many efforts and contributions to our community, especially when it comes to finding ways to help women become more empowered and working to develop leadership initiatives in our organization.

We salute Sergeant Brandle and all the women of the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and thank them for their contributions to public service and public safety.

Original source can be found here.