PORT TOWNSEND — A new State Patrol trooper has been assigned to Port Townsend.
Rachel Kemp was among the 41 new troopers sworn in on Wednesday in Olympia. Two were assigned to District 8, which includes Jefferson and Clallam counties, with the other assigned to Hoquiam in Grays Harbor County.
Kemp, who began patrolling in the Port Townsend area Friday, was raised in the area around Minneapolis, Minn., before moving to Washington state nine years ago.
“I left Minnesota in 2010 to attend university in Tacoma. I fell in love with Washington and decided to stay,” Kemp said via email.
Kemp graduated as part of the 111th class at the State Patrol Academy after completing more than 1,000 hours of training, according to a press release.
Serving the community is in her blood, she said, adding that she has dreamed of this opportunity since she was a child.
“I had dreams as a kid of wearing the brown campaign hat of the Minnesota State Patrol. I come from a long line of public servants in the military and health care and knew that serving my community was what I wanted to do with my career,” Kemp said.
“I also knew that whatever I ended up doing, I needed a challenging and dynamic career that would reward hard work and give me opportunities to grow as a person. The State Patrol offered those opportunities in ways I couldn’t imagine.”
Before applying for the State Patrol, she worked a financial analyst and budget specialist, she said.
Though Kemp is not from this area she is looking forward to learning about it.
“I love to learn new things. The more I learn about Washington, the more I love how diverse it is,” Kemp said.
“Each location has something new to offer, and Jefferson County is no different.”
State Supreme Court Associate Chief Justice Charles Johnson swore in the new troopers and Attorney General Bob Ferguson and State Patrol Chief John Batiste presented them with their commission cards and welcomed them to the organization.
District 8 for the State Patrol serves Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Kitsap, Pacific and Wahkiakum counties, according to Trooper Chelsea Hodgkins, State Patrol public information officer.
The other trooper who was assigned to District 8 in the same graduating class is Gabriel Krebs, who is assigned to Hoquiam.
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Jefferson County reporter Zach Jablonski can be reached at zjablonski@peninsuladailynews.com.
