Richland is searching for its 3rd police chief in five years. Here are the finalists

The search for a third Richland police chief in five years is down two finalists. Both have ties to the Tri-Cities.

Port Orchard Police Chief Matthew Brown and Selah Police Chief Dan Christman spoke at a gathering earlier this week at Richland City Hall. They were chosen with help from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.

Brown, 48, has 23 years of law enforcement experience starting in Pierce County, as well as in Lakewood, Walla Walla and Poulsbo. He told the Herald he was looking to return to the area because he has family here.

Christman’s career stretches from 1985 when he started as a deputy coroner in Idaho. After more than a decade as a medicolegal death investigator and instructor, he became a police officer in Bothell in 1997.

The 63-year-old said he intends to spend 5 to 7 years in the position and create a path for officers in the department to become chief someday.

“We were incredibly impressed with the caliber of these candidates and their ability to continue to move the department forward with excellence,” City Manager Jon Amundson said in a news release. “Both Brown and Christman possess the leadership skills experience and vision necessary to lead the RPD into the future.”

Both candidates were interviewed by multiple panels as part of the city’s hiring process. They also toured the department and the city on Tuesday.

City officials expect to have their final pick to lead the 68-officer department by the end of the month after finishing a background investigation.

The annual salary range for the position is $149,000 and $208,000, according to the job listing. The chief oversees officers for the city of about 63,000, the regional dispatch center and the Southeast Regional Internet Crimes against Children Task Force.

The city is looking to replace former Chief Brigit Clary who left at the end of December after announcing in September that she planned to retire.

Just before she stepped down, a 2017 Federal Way investigation came to light, accusing her of nepotism involving her husband and lying about it. Nothing resulted from the investigation because she moved to Richland before it was completed, according to public records.

Matthew Brown

Brown previously told the Kitsap Sun that he was inspired by “Encyclopedia Brown,” a children’s book character who solves mysteries, and his parents’ careers in public service to become a police officer.

After graduating from college at the University of Puget Sound, he started working for Pierce County working in what would become the city of Lakewood.

When the city formed its own department in 2004, he joined and stayed into 2016. According to the Kitsap Sun, he investigated narcotics trafficking, property crimes and SWAT before being promoted to sergeant in 2012.

He was recruited by the Walla Walla Sheriff’s Office in 2016, but his wife reportedly missed Western Washington so he took a position as the deputy chief at Poulsbo a year later.

He became the chief in 21-employee Port Orchard police department. The capital of Kitsap County has a population of about 16,000.

Brown was part of a statewide team that has been working to help the Richland Police Department to prepare for state accreditation.

“Being familiar with the eastside and westside law enforcement, I can bring that,” he said. “I will shout it from the mountaintop, accreditation makes agencies better.”

Dan Christman

Christman’s career has been split between police work and death investigations, according to his LinkedIn profile and a Yakima Herald-Republic story.

He started his career in Ada, Idaho, as a deputy coroner in 1985 before moving to Washington as an investigator at Snohomish County starting in 1988.

After more than a decade investigating deaths, he was convinced to move over to law enforcement in Bothell. He spent nearly 17 years at the department before leaving in September 2014.

He returned to the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office as the deputy director for nearly a year. before joining the Sunnyside police department as a commander in 2015.

He told Tuesday’s gathering about 50 people that during that time he developed lasting friendships in Tri-Cities.

Before moving on to Selah, he spent nearly two years at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission to develop higher training standards.

In October 2020, he joined the Selah Police Department to manage the about 20 employees, including 18 full-time officers. The city north of Yakima has a population of about 8,200.

“I think that what I bring is the ability to get a cohesive group moving forward,” Christman told the Herald. “For instance, knowing what the mission and vision is of the agency and maybe even refining that.”