Kristin Riddle

I attribute a lot of my success to the work ethic my parents instilled in me from a young age. They taught me that if I wanted something, I needed to be willing to work for it, and that mindset has followed me throughout my career. I have always tried to take ownership for my growth rather than simply waiting for the next opportunity to come along. Throughout my career in law enforcement, I have taken advantage of leadership training and other opportunities to expand my knowledge and prepare myself for greater responsibilities. One of my goals has always been to make myself overqualified for the position I want next. I never want to stop learning just because I have reached a certain rank or accomplished a particular goal. Ultimately, I attribute my success to hard work, continued education, and a willingness to keep pushing myself outside my comfort zone.

The best career advice I’ve ever received came from a female Chief of Police I met while attending Narcotics Commander School at the University of South Carolina in 2024. There weren’t many women in the class—only about two of us—and she came in as a guest speaker to talk about leadership. Afterward, I pulled her aside and told her that I didn’t see many female Chiefs of Police or even many women attending leadership courses like the one we were in. I asked her how she got to where she was because female leaders are still underrepresented in law enforcement. I told her that I wanted to achieve that kind of success—not just for myself, but so that one day I could be in a position to encourage other women and show them that they are strong enough and capable enough to do this job and lead in this profession. She told me, “I padded my resume. I went to every leadership course I could, any training I was interested in, I put in for it, and I never stopped achieving. That’s how I became who I am. I became so qualified that they could no longer ignore me.” That conversation has stayed with me ever since. She taught me that if you stay determined, continue improving yourself and your skill set, and never lose the desire to learn and achieve more, you can accomplish things that may have once seemed impossible. From that point forward, one of my goals became to continue building myself professionally and become so qualified that I could never be overlooked simply because I am a woman in a male-dominated profession. And hopefully, one day, I can be that same example for another woman that she was for me.

My advice to young women entering law enforcement would be to never be afraid to put yourself in rooms where you may be one of the only women. Pursue the training opportunities, apply for the specialized positions, and step into leadership roles—even when you aren’t completely sure you’re ready. Some of the greatest growth comes from being willing to challenge yourself and get outside of your comfort zone. Continue building your qualifications through education, training, and hands-on experience, but also work on building your confidence along the way. Know what you bring to the table and don’t be afraid to use your voice. You don’t have to become “one of the guys” to be respected or successful in this profession. You can lead in your own way and still be incredibly effective. Once you begin establishing yourself, remember to reach back and help the women coming behind you. Encourage them, share what you’ve learned, and create opportunities for them whenever you can. Success means more when you can use what you’ve accomplished to help someone else believe they can do it too. And probably one of the biggest pieces of advice I could give: find a strong female mentor and stick by her side. Learn from her experiences, ask questions, watch how she handles challenges, and let her remind you of what you’re capable of when you need it. Then, when the time comes, make sure you become that woman for someone else.

One of the biggest challenges in my field right now is the ongoing opioid and fentanyl epidemic. It continues to create a serious crisis in our communities and places an enormous strain not only on law enforcement, but also on families, first responders, and the entire public safety system. For me, this challenge is also very personal. I grew up in Berkeley County, and over the course of my career, I have responded to overdose deaths involving people I went to high school with or grew up around. Those calls stay with you. I often find myself wondering, “Where did their path change?” At what point did someone I once knew end up here, and could anything have changed the outcome? As difficult as those experiences are, they have also fueled my passion for narcotics work. They remind me that what we do goes far beyond making arrests or taking drugs off the street. There are real people, families, and lives behind every case. I see an opportunity for law enforcement to continue becoming more proactive—not only by targeting the individuals and organizations responsible for distributing these dangerous drugs, but also by working with our communities to prevent the next person from becoming another overdose statistic. For me, that is what makes narcotics work so meaningful. You may not always get to see the person whose life was changed because drugs never reached them, but knowing that possibility exists is enough to keep me passionate about the work.

Personally, I value resilience and independence. Life and this career have both taught me that not everything will go according to plan, and sometimes growth comes from learning how to adapt, start over, and keep moving forward. I try to stay true to who I am, continue growing, and be someone others can depend on in both my professional and personal life.