MERIDIAN — There was a glass ceiling to be broken in Idaho and Brandalyn Crapo broke it.
Not only is Crapo one of 17 female Idaho State Police officers, bringing local representation to a male-dominated profession, she’s also a lieutenant — making her the highest-ranking female officer in Idaho history. She currently oversees 40 people in patrol positions — 38 men and two women.
Her promotion to lieutenant, handed down in December 2023, while surreal and overwhelming, is not all about her, Crapo said.
“Yes, I took this promotion and I got myself here, but I’ve had so many women before me that were huge mentors to me that didn’t reach this level,” Crapo said. “… This is 100% about opening doors for the women and the small girls that someday want to be police officers.”
The highest state police rank is colonel, followed by lieutenant colonel, major, captain and lieutenant. The first rank in state police is a trooper, followed by sergeant and then master sergeant.
Crapo, 36, joined Idaho State Police in 2014, starting in patrol before jumping to the DUI team. After that, she tried criminal interdiction work for a while and became a sergeant in 2021.