Burien Police Captain Eric Muller’s call to serve others has spanned roughly four decades. Finding the path to do so wasn’t entirely clear to him while growing up in Bellevue and attending Interlake High School.
“In high school, when everyone was longing for colleges and other post-high school life, I was interested in law enforcement,” shared Captain Muller. “But I didn’t know how to chase that dream.” That path appeared after serving in the United States Navy. “After my honorable discharge, I attended Bellevue College, where I studied criminal justice.”
An internship with the Medina Police Department while pursuing his degrees confirmed he had found his calling. After graduation, he successfully passed the entrance exam and started his law enforcement career as a full-time officer with the Medina Police Department in 1999. As an officer, he had the opportunity to try out a variety of roles, from bicycle and marine patrol to investigations.
Transitioning to the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) in 2003 brought even greater opportunity to experience different roles within law enforcement. Working with and alongside nearly every unit in the department throughout the years, he was promoted from deputy to sergeant in 2013 and transferred to the Burien Police Department two years later. A promotion to captain came in 2020 along with a brief period with KCSO outside Burien, but Captain Muller returned to Burien in 2024, working alongside then-Captain Tom Calabrese.
Shortly after Calabrese took over the role of Burien Police Chief, Captain Muller officially became Burien Police Department’s captain in October 2024. He highlights the support he’s had from City staff, City Council, and community members, and that “the Chief and I look to these partnerships to collaboratively address the issues facing the Burien community.”
He shares that “the best part about working in the City of Burien is the community and the officers who work here.” Those officers all chose to work specifically in Burien, he says, and “are all hard workers who look forward to the fast-paced nature of the city and are interested in solving issues, not just responding to calls and clearing them as quickly as possible.”
Captain Muller remains steadfastly on his path to serving others. “I look forward to serving this community to the best of my ability for the foreseeable future and to meeting those I have yet to meet.”
