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Spokane Valley honors homeless outreach officer Kat Horton with two ‘Officer of the Year’ awards
Summary
Officer Catherine 'Kat' Horton received both the Spokane Valley Chamber and Lilac Festival Officer of the Year awards for her work on the city's homeless outreach team; Chief Dave Ellis and councilmembers praised her outreach and service.
Mayor Patton presented Officer Catherine "Kat" Horton with two 'Officer of the Year' awards on May 19 in recognition of her work as a senior officer on the city’s homeless outreach team.
Chief Dave Ellis described Horton’s role and impact, saying the position requires both firmness and compassion and recounting instances where Horton helped people find employment, treatment and housing. Horton, who attended National Police Week in Washington, D.C., for honor-guard duties last week, thanked the council and credited her team: "None of these would be possible without our homeless outreach team... We work seven days a week." Councilmembers praised Horton’s dedication and cited ride-along experience and community feedback as reasons for the awards.
What happens next: Horton and the outreach team will continue their work; the council used the moment to highlight the city's co‑deployment model that pairs police with social-service staff and behavioral-health partners.
