Kalispell Police Officer Cat Edson believes fate is the reason she crossed paths with a group of Girls on the Run campers late last month.

On June 23, nonprofits Code Girls United and Girls on the Run were midway through the organizations’ co-sponsored weeklong summer camp hosted at the Gateway Community Center. Coach Mandy Horelick took the group of 20 girls, all between third and fifth grade, outside to run in the afternoon on the greenspace just east of the building, just like every other day.  

That’s when a group of young men, believed to be in their late teens or early 20s, drove past the girls multiple times shouting inappropriate comments from their vehicle, including threats to kidnap them.   

“They said some really horrible things,” Horelick said. 

While Edson typically works nights, she happened to be on patrol when Horelick called the authorities.  

Before Horelick had got off the phone with dispatch, Edson and fellow officer Tara Oster were already at the community center. The officers rolled down the same loop that the harassers had driven, but they seemed to have already taken off.  

Oster stayed posted in a patrol car while Edson talked to the coaches.  

“I learned the inappropriate things that the guys said to them, and of course felt incredibly heartbroken for these girls,” Edson said. “Because that’s the last thing we want to have, is to have little girls feel unsafe while they’re outside.” 

While Edson doesn’t believe the young campers fully understood the lewd comments, she saw they were shaken and upset. 

“I think it’s important to make sure that they feel validated and understand that that’s not normal,” Edson said. “It’s important to feel safe in your community and get that confidence that you can feel like you’re OK to be outside.” 

Edson taught the girls about situational awareness and encouraged them to speak up when they feel unsafe or uncomfortable. 

AFTER CAMP ended for the day, Horelick notified parents about the incident and decided that the girls would run inside the community center the rest of the week for their safety. After hearing about the change, Edson decided to return to the community center the next day before her shift started.  

Horelick kept Edson’s visit a surprise. When she told the girls they would be running outside again, many were scared because of what had happened the day before. Horelick assured them they would feel safe once they saw who was waiting outside.  

Their unease evaporated as they stepped outside to be greeted by a patrol car with its lights flashing and sirens blaring.  

“I have never seen someone so excited to see me pull up in a cop car. That was really one of the greatest moments,” Edson said. “They all gave me a hug right away and they immediately accepted me into their group, and I can’t thank them enough.”  

She intended to just hang out and make sure the girls felt safe, “and then they convinced me to go on the run with them,” Edson said.    

Under the beating sun, Edsron ran a mile in uniform alongside the campers while another patrol car was stationed nearby in case the harassers returned. 

“Those girls, it turns out, are very fast, definitely tested my limits there,” she said.  

Edson ran with the girls again the following day before her shift started.  

“They’re rockstars getting back out there and not being too afraid to go running,” Edson said.   

WHEN NOT on the clock, Edson is an avid runner and completed the Whitefish Half Marathon in the spring. She said the campers proved to be great running partners, making sure she did her laps and giving her kudos when she completed them.  

Both Edson and Horelick were grateful to help transform a frightening experience into an empowering one.   

“It was turning a really crappy situation into a very positive learning experience for these girls, because unfortunately they’re going to deal with this as a female running. I deal with this all the time,” Horelick said. 

“At the end of the day, this is my reason why I’m a cop, this is the reason why I especially find it rewarding being a female officer,” Edson said. 

Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 406-758-4407 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.

    Kalispell Police officer Cat Edson with Girls on the Run campers. (Courtesy of Lisa Jones)
  

    Kalispell Police officer Cat Edson runs alongside Girls on the Run campers. (Courtesy of Lisa Jones)
  

    Kalispell Police officer Cat Edson runs alongside Girls on the Run campers. (Courtesy of Lisa Jones)