A Community Meeting on Public Safety in Burien will be held on Monday night, May 6, 2024 at the Highline Performing Arts Center – but not without some initial email drama between the city and police.
The meeting will be held from 5:30 – 6:50 p.m. at the Highline Performing Arts Center, with doors opening at 5:15 p.m.
Sponsored by Burien Police/King County Sheriff’s Office, the event will include a panel discussion with Sheriff Cole-Tindall, Burien Police Chief Ted Boe and other experts regarding responding to people struggling with mental health and addiction.
There will also be an opportunity for audience questions through facilitated dialog with panel members.
Panelists will include:
- Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall, King County Sheriff’s Office
- Chief Ted Boe, Burien Police Department
- Susie Kroll, Mental Health Professional (MHP) Co-Responder
- Lisa Daugaard, Purpose. Dignity. Action. (PDA)
- Aaron Burkhalter, Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD)
“All are invited to learn about how the King County Sheriff’s Office and the Burien Police Department are partnering to support public safety in the City of Burien.”
- WHEN: Monday, May 6, 2024: 5:30 – 6:50 p.m.; Doors open at 5:15 p.m.
- WHERE: Highline Performing Arts Center, 401 S 152nd Street, Burien, WA 98148:
The Email Drama
And, because it wouldn’t be the soap opera that is Burien in 2024, there is some drama as well between Police Chief Ted Boe and City Manager Adolfo Bailon.
The email exchange from Friday morning, May 3 showcases the ongoing disagreement between Bailon and Boe regarding this forum.
“Since Burien, its council, and the City Manager were not consulted or asked to help craft the agenda, scope of discussion, etc., it is inappropriate for King County, through the Sheriff, to unilaterally determine the items of discussion and use Burien’s name and logo to add credibility to King County’s proposed roundtable,” Bailon wrote.
Far as we can tell, Chief Boe did not “respond all” to Bailon’s email.
Chief Boe invited the community to the event via an email timestamped 5/3/24 at 7:50 a.m., then at 8:23 a.m. City Manager Bailon replied all with his objections to Burien’s involvement without proper consultation and requesting that Chief Boe clarify his affiliation; here’s the email exchange, starting with Boe’s:
“Community Partners-
“Please distribute this flyer to your networks and encourage our community to join us for a public safety discussion on Monday night. The panel will include Sheriff Cole-Tindall, myself and experts in responding to people struggling with mental health and addiction. There will be an opportunity for audience questions through facilitated dialog with the panel members.
“Thanks! Ted”
And here’s Bailon’s response:
“Hello all,
“Since Burien, its council, and the City Manager were not consulted or asked to help craft the agenda, scope of discussion, etc., it is inappropriate for King County, through the Sheriff, to unilaterally determine the items of discussion and use Burien’s name and logo to add credibility to King County’s proposed roundtable. In addition, since Ted is acting on the request of the Sheriff rather than the Burien City Council or City Manager, he should identify himself as a KC Sheriff major and remove all references to Burien.
“Thank you,
Adolfo Bailon
City Manager”
I write to express my deep concerns regarding the actions of our city manager, Adolfo Bailon. It has become increasingly apparent that Mr. Bailon’s leadership is characterized by incompetence and an unwillingness to cooperate with various stakeholders within our community.
At every juncture, Mr. Bailon appears to relish in confrontation. It begs the question: when will this detrimental behavior come to an end? His adversarial approach not only affects our police force but also extends to volunteers and citizens alike. It is disheartening to witness Mr. Bailon treat the governance of our city as his personal fiefdom, particularly evident in his recent handling of informing Burien residents about county matters. These objections, driven by personal agendas, serve no purpose other than to sow division and discord among us.
Furthermore, Mr. Bailon’s track record raises serious doubts about his suitability for this role. The closure of a police force in another town under his watch raises alarms about his capacity to effectively manage law enforcement matters. Are we to stand by idly and allow history to repeat itself in our own city?
If a city manager cannot foster collaboration and goodwill among constituents, it is imperative that steps be taken to address this deficiency. Given the gravity of the situation and the potential repercussions for our community, it is clear that the removal of Mr. Bailon from his position is necessary to safeguard the interests of Burien residents.
It is my sincere hope that our city council takes decisive action to address these concerns and considers the best interests of Burien moving forward.
Here, Here, JJ. And this leads us back to the city manager’s unwillingness to release his job evaluation. How bad is it?
Well started JJ Grieve!
Bailon and the Council majority have gone out of their way to put up obstacles to the Democratic process and divide the community.
I wish that we had fewer self-serving individuals representing our City. I wish that, for once, Burien could be represented on the evening news for the good that happens in our City, rather than abusive and disrespectful and ghoulish behavior. I wish that Bailon would step down and we could have a City Manager that is a much better match for the role and our City.
Is that really an email that our City Manager wrote?
He has lost the plot and is simply being adversarial now. He has no interest in working on this issue in good faith, and will take the city down with him.
I would say it’s time to recall Mr. Bailon.
The problem with this meeting is how the panelists are going to beat the drum about diversion and enforcement mitigation, not how lack of enforcement is creating unsafe and unsanitary situations, and hampering the wellbeing of citizens and businesses.
As I read the above comments, it just proves to me that the lefties in this community still have sour grapes about our leadership and the last election. This faction refuses to work with the majority of Burienites and continue to accept antisocial behaviors and entitlement. Get over it Your left wing ideology doesn’t work here and never will. Addiction and joblessness are not going to become the norm. We want a safe, healthy community and will never sink to your level!