New detective to take all sexual assault reports

CPSO Detective Matt Horton was recently hired after 26 years with the Portland Police Bureau. Photo by Adam Wickham.

Portland State’s Campus Public Safety Office has created a new detective position within the agency and filled it with retired Portland Police Bureau Detective Matt Horton.

Horton worked with PPB for a little more than 26 years, and was a detective for 18 of them. Horton retired from PPB in December and started with CPSO at the beginning of January.

Coming to work at PSU was a kind of serendipity, Horton said.

“In my personal life it was the right time to retire, and a job perfectly suiting me came open at the same time,” he said.

The main focus of Horton’s work at CPSO is to be the primary responding officer for all reports of sexual assault at PSU. If a report of sexual assault comes in during the night, Horton will be called to respond to the scene and take the report, which he will then forward to PPB.

Before Horton was hired, sexual assault victims had to make an initial report with the responding CPSO officer, then again with the responding PPB officer, and then potentially also talk with a PPB detective.

“We’re simplifying the process [of reporting sexual assaults] to be quicker, more direct and more personal,” Horton said. “And that minimizes the feeling of being passed along [from officer to officer] for the victim.”

Horton will also be able to provide certain facts about these reports to PSU while maintaining confidentiality, to help get the wheels turning for victim services as well as to keep the university informed of possible actions against perpetrators of these crimes.

In this position, he will be able to follow up with victims to ensure they are receiving the services they need to begin to heal and deal with the trauma they have experienced.

“This follows the principle of victim-centered response,” Horton said.

Horton attended PSU and earned a bachelor’s degree in administrative justice. He hadn’t decided on a career path until he had the opportunity to go on a police ride-along.

“I had a business class with a student who was a police officer, and I did a ride-along with him, and that was all it took,” Horton said.

During his career with PPB, Horton said he made the decision to become a detective because he thought it was interesting to have a longer view on a case, beyond the initial report.

“To be able to really look at a certain incident with more depth seemed more satisfying,” he said.

As a detective, Horton spent a period of time working with the child abuse team on reports of child abuse.

“That is the epitome of victim-centered investigation, and principles that I learned there helped with other cases as well,” Horton said. “It all boils down to seeing people the way they see themselves.”

At CPSO, Horton will also be assisting other officers complete their investigations.

“Sometimes it takes just one or two more steps to help cases get ready for prosecution,” he said, adding that in his short time with CPSO he has already been able to help some of the officers with this.

Horton’s position at CPSO is fairly groundbreaking, he said. It is wide open and undefined, and he is excited for the possibilities that will come with being CPSO’s new detective.

“I am confident CPSO will handle [reports of] sexual assaults competently and compassionately,” Horton said. “Again, we are simplifying the process of providing service to sexual assault victims, and this will be further enhanced when, eventually and hopefully, we become a commissioned police agency.”