The two finalists in the running for Aberdeen Chief of Police were available for a meet and greet at the Rotary Log Pavilion on Sunday afternoon.

Both candidates — Kevin Darst, currently a lieutenant with the Aberdeen Police Department, and Steve Shumate, chief criminal deputy with the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office — have longstanding ties to the area and decades of police experience. Both are graduates of Montesano High School, and both spoke briefly before making themselves available to meet one on one with those in attendance.

The position opened up when former chief Bob Torgerson announced his retirement last June. Deputy Chief Dave Timmons has been serving as acting chief, but he is retiring soon.

About 35 people, including family members of the two candidates and several city council members, attended the Mother’s Day event.

“It was the best day to have the event, from a scheduling standpoint, without delaying the process,” said Aberdeen Mayor Erik Larson. “While turnout was fairly light, I think a good number of people did turn out and we received a good amount of comments.”

Larson introduced the candidates and they provided a brief background of their experience and a short history of their career paths.

“I graduated from Montesano High School in 1977 and from Grays Harbor College in 1982,” said Darst. He has more than two decades worth of police experience, starting off in Ritzville in Eastern Washington, making sergeant after seven years and now holds his current rank of lieutenant with the APD. He thanked “all the moms” who took time out of their special day to meet him and Shumate.

Shumate graduated from Montesano High School in 1986. He said he considers his job as a law enforcement officer a “customer service” position. “I work for the people of Grays Harbor County and plan to bring that attitude to Aberdeen.”

He pointed out to his table, where his parents, daughter, son and wife, whom he married right out of high school, were showing their support.

After their brief opening comments, both candidates moved through the audience, answering questions from the public and council members. There was no formal question and answer period, just one-on-one conversations between the candidates and attendees.

Larson intends to spend the next week considering both candidates, who have more than 50 years of combined police experience between the two of them, and Larson says he will give his final recommendation to the Aberdeen City Council at its next meeting, May 23.

Both candidates have said they want to create a positive environment within the department. Building morale is high on their list of priorities. Shumate said he would like to see more interaction between the police department and the community and hopes to proactively work to reduce crime and improve safety in the downtown business corridor. Darst said he would like to see more foot and bicycle officers in the downtown core; he himself was a bicycle officer for several years and found it to be an excellent way to interact with the public. He also wants to create a community services officer to interact with community members and business owners.

Before the public meeting, Aberdeen Police officers gathered at the Log Pavilion to discuss among themselves their thoughts about both candidates, and Larson is getting input from them and a variety of other sources to make his decision.

The Aberdeen City Council made a strong showing at the event. Among the council members who attended were Margo Shortt, Jeff Cook, Jim Cook, Karen Rowe, Tawni Andrews, Dee Anne Shaw, Frank Gordon, Jon Maki and Pete Schave.

Afterward, Shumate said he was impressed with the quality questions the council members had for him and Darst.