Burien Police Officers petition expresses vote of ‘no confidence’ in City Manager Bailon, Mayor Schilling

In a strong rebuke to city leadership, Burien Police Department officers this week issued a vote of “no confidence” in City Manager Adolfo Bailon and Mayor Kevin Schilling via a petition signed by all department employees.

The petition – signed by all officers and staff of the Burien Police Department (we counted 26 signatures) – criticizes Bailon’s recent decision to seek to fire and replace Police Chief Ted Boe.

“For all of these reasons, this letter serves as an express vote of no confidence in City Manager Adolfo Bailon and Mayor Kevin Schilling,” it reads.

The Burien Police Department’s resounding vote of no confidence in Bailon and Schilling may cast a shadow over city leadership, potentially leading to officer resignations, a decrease in proactive policing, and a further-fractured relationship between the police and the city.

This public rebuke raises questions about the future of public safety in Burien, as well as the city’s ability to effectively manage its police force.

Here’s full text of the petition (download PDF here), as well as an image:

“Esteemed councilmen and women:

“We, the officers of Burien Police Department, write to you today to express our extreme disappointment with the recent decision of the city to request removal of Ted Boe as the Chief of Burien PD.

“Ted has been our chief for the majority of the last decade and has done nothing but improve this worksite for your city. In addition to significant drops in crime and increases in proactive activity, Ted has put Burien on the map as the premiere agency for mental health alternatives to police interaction with our neighbors in crisis. He has motivated and developed officers in this city to the extent that, prior to this decision, Burien had the highest ratio of officers attempting to get in to your contract than leave it county wide.

“This action will result in the immediate transfer for request of countless years of experience from the city to more supportive organizations within our county. On top of this, nobody but the least senior deputies and sergeants will be forced to work in a place that does not support constitutional policing by their officers, which historically results in lower proactive policing and higher crime.

“For all of these reasons, this letter serves as an express vote of no confidence in City Manager Adolfo Bailon and Mayor Kevin Schilling.

“In the meantime, we will continue to pour our hearts and efforts into serving the citizens of Burien as long as we are still assigned here. Thank you to the rest of the community we serve for your continued support of our public safety efforts.”

– SIGNATURES FROM ~26 BURIEN POLICE DEPARTMENT OFFICERS/STAFF

The document highlights Chief Boe’s six-year tenure and his accomplishments, including significant crime reduction, increased proactive policing efforts, and establishing Burien as a leader in mental health alternatives for police interactions.

Veteran Burien Police Officers Hayden & McLauchlan Speak Out

We sat down and spoke with veteran Burien Police Officers Sgt. Henry McLauchlan and Mark Hayden for over an hour on Friday, May 3, 2024. Both expressed their strong disapproval of the City Manager and Mayor’s decision to request the removal of Police Chief Boe.

McLauchlan is a veteran Sergeant who recently earned his 45-year pin, and was honored on Mar. 1 at Discover Burien’s “Best of Burien” awards dinner. Hayden has been serving the department for over 25 years, most recently as the full-time storefront officer in downtown Burien.

These two are well-known and respected by many residents and business owners throughout Burien. They have spent most of their lives serving and protecting the community and people they both love.

Both officers told The B-Town Blog that they truly appreciate Chief Boe’s leadership, stating it has resulted in high morale and officer retention within the department.

However, they both reacted very strongly to City Manager Bailon’s April 10, 2024 statement that he can no longer trust Chief Boe.

“False narratives, lies and manipulations of the truth”

Both officers have decried recent public statements from city officials critical of Police Chief Boe, calling them “filled with false narratives, lies and manipulations of the truth.”

Both argued that these statements have unfairly tarnished the reputation of Boe, a man who has led the department and served the community for six years.

“These statements have been made with complete disregard for all who may be impacted,” Hayden said. “It has been done at the expense of a good man’s reputation. Chief Ted Boe has been openly and unfairly criticized and blamed for the shortcomings of the city and its leaders. Yet this body, through proclamation or standing silently by has challenged his trust, his honesty, and his credibility.”

Sgt. McLauchlan added this about Boe:

“He has led from the front and holds everyone including himself to an incredibly high standard, all the while weighing legal standing and legal authority on the direction he provides. He is a champion of accountability and protecting all people’s civil rights while being proactive and innovative in his approach. They expressed concerns that the decision by the city manager to remove Chief Boe may lead to a mass exodus of experienced officers to more supportive police agencies. Additionally, they fear the remaining officers will be less likely to engage in proactive policing due to a perceived lack of support from city leadership, potentially leading to increased crime rates.”

Addressing concerns about the city’s approach to camping and drug enforcement, both officers pushed back against claims that police aren’t taking action. They clarified that, on average, roughly 40 to 45 drug arrests are made each month, primarily within the downtown area stretching from Burien Plaza on SW 148th to SW 153rd Streets.

Below are more of Hayden and McLauchlan’s thoughts and explanations about the petition and more:

Chief Boe’s leadership praised

• Significant crime reduction during his tenure.
• Increased proactive policing efforts.
• Established Burien as a leader in mental health alternatives for police interactions.
• High officer morale and department retention attributed to his leadership.

Statements from the Petition

• Potential mass exodus of experienced officers to other, more supportive departments.
• Remaining officers less likely to engage in proactive policing due to perceived lack of leadership support, potentially leading to increased crime.

Strong disapproval of Chief Boe’s removal

• Emphasis on the negative impact this decision has on the department and the community.
• Belief that the City Manager and Mayor made a rash and poorly considered decision.

Concerns about the future of the department

• Potential loss of numerous experienced officers with valuable institutional knowledge.
• Remaining officers may be less likely to proactively engage in their duties due to perceived lack of support from leadership.
• This could lead to increased crime rates and decreased public safety.

Vote of no confidence

• Reiterating the officers’ formal vote of “no confidence” in City Manager Bailon and Mayor Schilling.
• Highlighted this action as a significant expression of their dissatisfaction with the city’s leadership.

Officers Will Continue to Serve the City

The two officers wanted to emphasize that – despite their “no confidence” vote on the city manager and mayor – they will continue to serve the city with the utmost respect.

“In the meantime, we wil continue to pour our hearts and efforts into serving the citizens of Burien as long as we are still assigned here,” they said. “Thank you to the rest of the community we serve for your continued support of our public safety efforts.”

City Manager, Mayor Schilling Decline to Comment

We reached out to both City Manager Adolfo Bailon and Burien Mayor Kevin Schilling for comment, but both declined.