The cop named Harveston in Rock Hill for 22 years stood about 5 feet 3 inches tall in duty boots.
She became a giant anyway.
Kathy Harveston retired from the Rock Hill Police Department Friday, Dec. 13, as the highest ranking woman ever in York County law enforcement. She advanced from entry level patrol officer to captain.
She juggled commanding dozens of officers with being a wife, mother of four, and grandmother of six before retiring at age 71.
“I am a woman first, but in the uniform I am a police officer like anyone else,” Harveston said. “You really do have to have the heart for police work. It is a calling, this job.”
At a ceremony the day of her retirement, Rock Hill Police Chief Chris Watts and others spoke to a packed room filled with peer officers about Harveston’s career, leadership and high standards in the job. Deputy Chief Michael Belk called Harveston “a true professional.”
Men and women officers alike gave Harveston a standing ovation.