Police Dept. Mourns Loss of ‘Matriarch’ After 30 Years

A longtime Middletown Police Dispatcher is being remembered after more than 30 years of service.

The Middletown Police Department is mourning the loss of one of its longest-serving and most beloved employees. Kathleen Kummer, better known as Kate, worked as an overnight dispatcher for the police department for 33 years, before she died following what her obituary described as "a courageous seven-month battle with sudden illness."

In announcing her passing, the department called Kummer the agency's "matriarch" and said she served the City of Middletown with distinction throughout a career that earned numerous awards and commendations.

According to the department, Kummer spent nearly her entire career working the overnight shift, becoming a reassuring and familiar voice for generations of police officers, dispatchers and supervisors.

Her role was so important because she served as the informal field training officer for dispatchers, officers, and supervisors alike. The midnight shift is not always the first choice for our personnel—often, individuals end up assigned there after being newly hired or promoted, and they need someone to take them under their wing and show them the ropes. That is where Kate truly shined, although it was a role she never really thought twice about—it was just Kate being Kate.

In a heartfelt tribute shared on social media, the department said Kummer was "one of the brightest lights within our organization" and noted that she never had the opportunity to enjoy the retirement she had earned after more than 30 years of service.

Police also reflected on the impact her absence will leave behind.

"With the loss of Kate, the airwaves on the Middletown PD radio channel will be so much quieter. She was that calm, steady voice in the dark for so many years, a constant among the continuous change that accompanies policing."

The department concluded its tribute with a final message to their longtime colleague:

"Rest in peace, Kate. We've got the watch from here."

Our thoughts are with Kate's family, friends, coworkers and everyone in the Middletown Police Department during this difficult time.