The King County, Washington sheriff has directed her deputies to not enforce a City of Burien order outlawing homeless encampments within 500 feet of locations like schools and parks until the constitutionality of the order was resolved, without telling city officials. Now, Burien Mayor Kevin Schilling is examining the inter-local agreement between the city and county sheriff’s office.
reported, citing concerns over the constitutionality of the new law. 'We have strong concerns on whether the terms of this ordinance are constitutional, based on the existing legal authority,' the station reported Cole-Tindall as saying. The sheriff was appointed by King County Executive Dow Constantine, a move granted by voters in 2021. 'This is the undemocratic situation that occurs when a higher government official gets to dictate what occurs in local governments,' Schilling told Fox News Digital. 'The City of Burien pays millions of dollars to the King County Sheriff’s Office with the expectation they will enforce our city codes and laws to keep the community safe and publicly accessible for all.