Former Burien Police Chief Ted Boe was officially sworn in as the new Chief of Police for Des Moines in a ceremony conducted on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024 by the Honorable Judge Lisa Leone.

Chief Boe takes the helm of the Des Moines Police Department following a distinguished career in law enforcement and a strong commitment to public safety.

Prior to coming to Des Moines, Boe served as Burien’s Chief of Police since 2018. As we previously reported, he submitted his letter of resignation from that position on June 11, 2024.

In April, 2018, an open meeting was held for the public to meet the five final candidates for the Burien Police Chief gig, from which Boe was selected.

Since March, 2024, the City of Burien has been in a war of lawsuits, countersuits, press releases, press conferences and more with Boe and the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO). The city stopped making payments for KCSO’s police services, and Bailon directed Burien’s financial staff to “place a hold on any invoices received from the King County Sheriff’s Office until further notice.”

This ongoing conflict started Mar. 11, when the Sheriff held a press conference announcing that police would not enforce Ordinance 832, which includes a controversial map that showed where camping would and would not be allowed. A court hearing was held on April 5, but a decision has not yet been announced.

Prior to Burien, Boe served 18 years in the King County Sheriff’s Office, as Sergeant, Precinct Operations Captain, and Major Investigations Section Captain in Seattle, Burien, and SeaTac.

Burien Councilmembers Will Interview Police Chief Candidates Aug. 27

Reports are that Burien City Councilmembers will be interviewing Police Chief candidates on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024.

It is unknown yet if an open meeting for the public will also be conducted.

Burien Councilmember Sarah Moore posted the following about the new police chief selection process in her weekly email:

“In common with many cities in the county, Burien contracts with the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) for our Police services. Burien’s police department are King County Sheriff employees, but with notable exceptions, they enforce Burien’s specific ordinances. The tension between the city and King County over enforcement of one specific ordinance stemmed from the Sheriff’s inability to determine if enforcing it was constitutional. Such situations are uncommon.

“Our police chief has the authority to hire officers from within the pool of KCSO officers. As Burien now hires a chief, that position too, will be selected from within current KCSO employees.

“A notification was posted to KCSO employees, that Burien is hiring, and interested internal applicants have filed for consideration. KCSO selected those candidates that it deemed to be qualified, and provided their information to the city so that we can select one of them to be our new chief. In essence, both KCSO and the City of Burien participate in the selection process – KCSO by vetting the applicants, Burien by choosing one.

“The interview process will be held by three panels – 2 panels consisting of three council members each, and a third consisting of the mayor and several community leaders. All the interviews will take place on one day, Aug 27.

“I have heard feedback from many people that they miss the public input that was solicited during the hiring of Chief Boe, and I will convey that sentiment (which I share) to the city manager at tonight’s meeting and ask – at a minimum – for the interviews to be public, but also for an opportunity for the residents of Burien to meet the candidates before a new chief is selected. A police chief has the opportunity to individually impact the lives of residents in ways that few other positions have, and meeting candidates seems like an early step to developing a trusting relationship with the new hire. Having a public engagement process as part of selecting a new chief for Burien is not only helpful to building trust in the community, it gives us an opportunity to see how the candidates will interact with the community.”

Following the recent departure of Chief Tim Gately, the City of Des Moines administration conducted a thorough review of potential options to fill the vacant position, through either interim assignments or a permanent replacement. Acting Chief Mark Couey lead the department until today.

The appointment of Chief Boe marks the beginning of a new chapter for the department, with city officials expressing confidence in his leadership, integrity, and vision for the community.

“With a distinguished career and a deep commitment to public safety, we are confident that Chief Boe will lead our department with integrity, vision, and dedication,” Des Moines Police said. “We look forward to working together to serve and protect the communities of Des Moines. Join us in welcoming Chief Boe to our team!”

Chief Boe is expected to lead initiatives focused on community engagement, public safety, and strengthening trust between the police force and residents.