MOSES LAKE — Dozens of people gathered in the Moses Lake City Council chamber Tuesday. Not for a boring meeting, but for a celebration of decades of public service on the part of former Moses Lake Police Chief — now City Manager — Kevin Fuhr, after his formal retirement from law enforcement. 

“I have worked with the most phenomenal people in my career,” Fuhr said. “I had told them right from the get-go that I was never going to leave, that I was going to retire with the Moses Lake PD. Actually, I think my comment was, ‘I’m going to die in a Moses Lake PD Uniform.’”

After 32 years in law enforcement in both Washington and Idaho, Fuhr opted to fill the role of city manager after the city’s quest for a full-time replacement kept falling through as candidates took jobs in other locations. 

Newly-sworn-in Moses Lake Police Chief Dave Sands congratulated Fuhr on his retirement from law enforcement and thanked Fuhr for his mentorship and encouragement for everyone in MLPD. Sands acknowledged that Fuhr is well-loved by the MLPD team, which presents a sort of unique challenge for Sands himself.

“I know that, based on how many people are here, I know, having tried to follow in your footsteps, I really wish you would have (been a jerk) going out the door to maybe be just a little less popular,” Sands joked, adding that Fuhr left big shoes to fill.

In his own comments, Fuhr expressed great appreciation for those who had mentored him during his career as a police officer. 

Fuhr took on the chief’s badge in Moses Lake from a prior position in Rathdrum Idaho, where he also served as chief. He said learning the ropes of being a police chief in a smaller town added to his successes in Moses Lake and prepared him for the role in a larger city. 

Fuhr also thanked former Dave McCormick for initially hiring him in 1992 at the Ritzville Police Department. He also expressed appreciation for the late former Adams County Sheriff Ron Snowden for helping to make him into the police officer and leader he eventually became.

“He was an old rancher. Smoked like a freaking chimney, but he was the most down-to-earth, humble, easy to talk to, tell-it-like-it-is kind of guy,” Fuhr said. 

Fuhr eventually served as undersheriff in Adams County before taking on the job in Idaho and subsequently moving to Moses Lake.

Since coming to Moses Lake in 2016, Fuhr has embedded himself in the community in a way that Sands said he didn’t expect.

“I didn’t really know him. I met him (when he worked) in Adams County and I thought he was a good dude, but I think I met him a couple of times for a grand total of maybe 20 minutes,” Sands said. “... He was an outsider. He’s not from here. He doesn’t know anyone. How long could this guy possibly last here? And then, (he) literally took everyone in the city of Moses Lake out to lunch in a one-year period of time. Impossible, but he did. And now he knows everyone and then he’s running for political office and doing all that he’s doing.” 

Fuhr has become an integral part of the community in many ways. He also serves as president of the Moses Lake School Board and can often be seen at events hosted by community groups as he works to ensure community members are informed regarding what’s happening in the city both from a crime prevention perspective and as the head of the school board.

While the community is important, Fuhr made it a point to thank the two people who supported him most in his law enforcement career – his wife Emily Fuhr and his daughter Jordan Fuhr. He said they often put up with him putting the community’s and his officers’ needs above theirs and said he appreciated their understanding and support for his passion for community service with a badge on his chest. 

“I thank them because for 32 years I have put the department and my employees ahead of them. And I will admit that. They would second that. My department always came first and family came second, even though I tell the staff – family always comes first.”

Both Emily and Jordan were on hand to receive his thanks and to celebrate his retirement from law enforcement and his move into a new career managing the city itself.

“I’m excited about the new challenges, the new opportunities that I’m going to have,” Fuhr said. “... I’m looking forward to working with all of the employees in the city. For those employees that are here, when you read the newsletter, I’m not lying about what I wrote in there. My goal is to build a relationship with everybody and create (a) family atmosphere,” Fuhr said.

R. Hans “Rob” Miller may be reached at editor@columbiabasinherald.com. He lives in Ephrata with his wife and their three dogs.