BURIEN, Wash. — Burien's police chief announced Tuesday he is stepping down.
Ted Boe's last day as Burien's police chief is Aug. 15. He will then take over as the chief of police for the City of Des Moines.
Boe's resignation from the Burien position comes after months of friction between the King County Sheriff's Office and Burien city management.
Boe is an employee of the sheriff's office because Burien doesn't have its own police force. Instead, it contracts services with the county.
Back in April, Burien City Manager Adolfo Bailon called on Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall in a letter to replace Boe as chief. The ask came after the sheriff filed a complaint with a U.S. District Court over the constitutionality of the city's camping ban, which the chief was not enforcing at the direction of the sheriff.
Bailon said in April he can "no longer state that I trust Boe to fulfill the requirements listed within the Interlocal Agreement." The Interlocal Agreement is what offers police services to the city of Burien through the King County Sheriff's Office (KCSO). Burien police logos and uniforms are donned by KCSO deputies while on the job.
Burien sued the sheriff's office for not enforcing the ban.
Boe released a short letter that read, "After much consideration, I have decided to resign from the King County Sheriff’s Office and accept an outside employment opportunity."
Burien Mayor Kevin Schilling confirmed the resignation and added, "I wish him the best."
According to the KCSO, Boe was the Burien police chief for six years and worked with the sheriff's office for 27 years.
Cole-Tindall called Boe an "exemplary leader."
"I know Chief Boe will be a tremendous asset in his next venture. I appreciate the hard work and professionalism he brought to this job every single day," she said.
In a statement released Wednesday, the City of Des Moines said that the decision to hire Boe comes after a "thorough review" of candidates.
“Chief Boe’s name continued to come up in our review process as a person of high moral character, the exact kind of expertise and experience that we needed and someone who may potentially be available to make a move,” Interim City Manager Tim George said in a statement.
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