Kate Cooler

July 2024 Issue

by Lesley Kyle
Photography by Lindsay Pettinicchi Photography, LLC

Detective Kate Cooler
has given back to
her community in many ways.

Kate, who grew up in the small town of Oxford, Connecticut, packed up her Jeep Wrangler to move to the Lowcountry in December 2014. Armed with a degree in Justice and Law Administration from Western Connecticut State University, she longed to be near the water and away from the snow. Kate had always enjoyed visiting South Carolina, so at age 22, she moved to the Palmetto State without a job or any firm prospects. After consulting Google Maps, she chose Beaufort and applied to a few agencies, showed up in person, and was sworn in as a cop in January 2015. She worked on patrol for three and a half years before joining the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office in 2018. There, she worked as a patrol officer with additional responsibilities in victim advocacy and criminal investigations.

Married in December 2022, Kate was at a common crossroads of balancing a demanding career and family life with her husband and stepson. She took a civilian position as a victim’s advocate with the Bluffton Police Department in May 2023. Soon thereafter, however, Kate missed the law enforcement side of her former positions and was sworn in again this past January. She now investigates criminal cases and serves as a victim’s advocate in the Bluffton Police Department.


Kate’s interest in a career in law enforcement didn’t begin in college. At the tender age of 13, Kate became a survivor of a traumatic incident that changed the course of her young life. She was stalked on a social media platform by a man who crossed state lines to meet her. Young Kate’s case wound its way through the court system, where she met Jim, a federal prosecutor, and Kathy, an FBI agent, both who worked on her case. The relationships she developed with Jim and Kathy were pivotal to Kate’s future in many ways fostering a desire to share what happened to her to help others. She has dedicated her life to service, and Jim and Kathy attended her police academy graduation ceremony to honor her dedication. “It was a full-circle moment for me,” said Kate.

Kate’s desire to share her story took another turn. She became one of the earliest speakers for Jane Doe No More (https://www.janedoenomore.org), a nonprofit organization that empowers survivors of sexual crimes to find their voices, advance their healing, and educate others. All of Kate’s life experiences led to her current role with the Bluffton Police Department.

“Being a victim advocate is very fulfilling,” Kate shared. She is entrusted with sensitive information and builds relationships with victims of domestic violence. “I empower them to do things they think they can’t and love giving people their power back. I know what it’s like to feel alone, to go through numerous law enforcement processes. Giving them the tools to change their lives keeps me going.”

No two days in the life of Detective Cooler are ever the same. “It’s always a good day when you get the bad guy,” said Kate. She enjoys the analytical side of detective work, piecing things together. “Last night, I went out on a call at 7 p.m. and got home at 1 a.m. This morning, I drove up to Beaufort for a bond hearing. Then I headed out to request surveillance footage for an investigation in Bluffton.” But her role as a victim’s advocate begins differently, often after a conversation with a patrol officer. Once assigned to a victim, Kate serves as his or her advocate from beginning to end, which can sometimes take years as cases meander through the court system.

Kate’s cases are difficult: primarily child abuse; neglect; assault and battery; homicide; and any violent crime. She sometimes pulls double duty as a victim’s advocate for cases she investigates. But her colleagues will sometimes ask her to sit with their cases’ victims, too. Kate is the only victims’ advocate in the Bluffton PD, but she has a network of advocates in the Beaufort County system on whom she can rely. She also works with theft and property crime victims to help them move past their trauma.

Kate’s philosophy on the role of law enforcement is clear: “We all chose this profession for one reason or another. The goal is to help people move forward with whatever has happened. There are resources, and we want to see people change and be successful,” Kate said. But she also encourages people to offer a helping hand to those who
are struggling.

Having been a victim of violent crime herself, Kate shares this quote from American author, Alex Elle: “You are not a victim for sharing your story, you are a survivor, setting the world on fire with your truth. And you never know who needs your light, your warmth, your raging courage.”