Wenatchee officer says department emphasizes training, DUI enforcement and outdoor lifestyle

Police Officer Kate Abbott of the Wenatchee Police Department said the department emphasizes training and career development and that she hopes to increase DUI enforcement this year.

Abbott said the department’s leadership supports officers’ professional growth and offers trainings aimed at investigative work and other specialties. “There’s a lot of trainings that are available. You wanna be a detective down the road, there’s a bunch of trainings for that,” she said.

The remarks combined workplace culture, enforcement priorities and lifestyle factors. Abbott said, “A strong part of our department’s mentality is we want all of our officers to strive to be the best officer they can be,” and added that leadership at the department has enabled her “to show my work ethic and been able to branch out and explore different things that I like about this job.”

On enforcement priorities, Abbott said, “Like, I really love DUIs. Like, that's the the main goal that I I I have is trying to get as many DUIs as I can this year.” The transcript did not specify a numeric target or current DUI arrest totals.

Abbott also framed Wenatchee as a place suited to building a family because of nearby outdoor recreation. She said her favorite activities include snowboarding at Mission Ridge and paddleboarding at Lake Chelan. “I think this job is one of the most noble careers, and Wenatchee Police Department is one of the strongest departments,” she said.

The remarks were descriptive rather than a request for specific policy changes or formal actions; no motions or votes were recorded on the topic during the meeting. The statements reflected Abbott’s personal priorities and observations about departmental culture and local lifestyle.