Jessica Sullivan officially starts as the next captain and assistant chief for the Burien Police Department on Saturday, June 16. 

She’s looking forward to returning to serve the city, a place she spent a couple of years as detective earlier in her career. 

“I really want to get to know the city again,” she said. “You tell me what you need to feel safe and how we can help you. We want to prevent crime and part of that is building community partnerships. It’s really about listening to the community.”

Captain Sullivan has almost two decades’ experience in law enforcement and has held assignments throughout King County. Her selection included input from police officers, civilian support staff, city leaders and residents. 

“Jessica is thoughtful and intelligent,” Burien Police Chief Ted Boe said. “She understands the need to fight crime in our community, to build relationships with our residents and to support our police officers with the training and equipment necessary to be effective.”

He has known Sullivan since the beginning of his career and looks forward to working with her. “Burien Police Department is a great place to work and we are excited for the opportunity to lead this agency together,” he said. 

Sullivan said that she always wanted to be involved with the law but wasn’t sure initially which direction she wanted to go. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications and political science at the University of Washington and also holds a master’s degree in Strategic Public Relations from George Washington University. 

For a while, she thought that she would go into law school or intelligence. Then, she met a detective in the Seattle Police Department who suggested that she consider law enforcement. 

“I knew that I didn’t enjoy working for a bottom line,” she said. “A career in service was more my calling.” 

Sullivan decided to apply. “I was hired almost immediately by the King County Sheriff’s Office, and I haven’t looked back,” she said. 

She dove into the police academy, learning patrol tactics, as well as how to shoot a gun and how to search a building, all of the basics of an officer’s daily duties. 

“Once I got out on the street, I realized that I really liked this,” she said. “You have the ability to jump into someone’s life on their worst day and hopefully make a positive difference. To be the one who goes when someone calls for help is a tremendous honor.”

Sullivan started on patrol in Shoreline and served as a school resource officer, as well. “It was fun to interact with the kids and build a positive framework with law enforcement,” she said. 

While in the post, she helped establish an anti-bullying campaign. “We ended up teaching and training with that all over the country,” she said. 

Then, Sullivan moved to Burien, where she was promoted to detective. Her next post was as a recruiter for the sheriff’s office, where she created a mentoring program. 

“It’s a program that’s still around today, and it’s a project that I love,” she said. “Giving recruits a mentor helps them build relationships with senior officers. Building those relationships up front helps them to be more successful down the road.”

Next, Sullivan was promoted to sergeant in Maple Valley, where she stayed for a couple of years before moving on to serve as sergeant in Sammamish. She then served in the King County Sherriff’s Office Special Assault Unit, which she said was a highlight of her career. 

“I learned that my heart is really where I can best help the most vulnerable,” she said. “I love making kids and families safer. Making sure that a kid has a safe place to be right now is very rewarding.”

Most recently, Sullivan has served in the communications center for King County Sheriff’s Office. 

“I have been working in the civilian world for the last couple of years,” she said. “This is an opportunity to get back into policing, which is what I truly love.”

When not at work, Sullivan enjoys golf, cooking and playing piano. She’s a major sports fan and roots for the Huskies, Seahawks and Mariners. She also enjoys helping charities. 

Sullivan said that across the country, law enforcement has been challenged with becoming more connected with the community and rebuilding trust. 

She hopes to be at the forefront of a law enforcement force and that works side-by-side with residents. “It’s a team sport,” she said. “We are here to help. I love and value the community partnership. We can’t do law enforcement alone.”

Sullivan said that looking to innovate and improve the system are part of her goals. 

“I’m excited to try new things and maybe do it differently, because there are some great opportunities out there,” she said. “I want us to really cross that divide and build on that further and see where we can take it.