Milner — The entire police department in the small Lamar County city of Milner announced it will resign after the police chief accused the mayor of placing a tracking device on his personal vehicle and monitoring cameras at City Hall.
Resignations leave city without local force
City Manager Tausha Grose told the Milner city council Monday that the city’s full complement of officers — including five full-time officers and most reserve officers — submitted resignations, with the department’s last day set for Wednesday, Oct. 28. Grose also said she filed her own resignation and will step down on Oct. 30.
The announcement came at a council meeting during which Police Chief Lamar Bunn publicly accused Mayor Craig Timmons of placing a tracking device on his personal truck without authorization and of being monitored via cameras at City Hall. Bunn said the dispute had escalated from disagreements over overtime and city vehicle use to one of trust tied to the alleged tracker.
“City Hall every day, got a tracker on my truck, bought with personal funds and placed on my vehicle without the city council or my supervisor, city administrator knowing it…violating my fourth amendment right.”
Bunn, who announced his resignation last Friday, told the council he did not instruct his officers to quit. “I didn’t ask them to do it,” he said at the meeting, according to reports. He rejected rumors alleging an affair with the city manager.
Mayor declines to confirm placement of device
When asked about the tracking device, Mayor Timmons did not offer a denial. According to WSB-TV, Timmons said, “I have no comment,” but he also told the meeting he hoped the matter could be resolved. Local reporting indicates the alleged tracker, Bunn said, was purchased with his personal funds but later placed on his vehicle without knowledge of his supervisors or the city council.
With the Milner department stepping away, the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office is expected to provide coverage for the city in the interim, according to Atlanta News First. Milner’s population is under 1,000 and the city lies about 45 miles southeast of Atlanta in Lamar County.
Immediate public-safety and governance questions
The resignations raise immediate questions about patrol coverage, emergency response times and where administrative responsibility will rest while the city is without its own police force. City residents and council members will face decisions about whether to rebuild the department, contract with the county sheriff or pursue other options.
- Department composition: Five full-time officers and most reserve officers.
- Key dates: Chief Bunn announced his resignation last Friday; department last day is Oct. 28; City Manager Grose to resign Oct. 30.
- Interim coverage: Lamar County Sheriff’s Office expected to serve the city.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full-time officers | 5 |
| Department last day | Oct. 28 |
| City manager resignation | Oct. 30 |
At the meeting, Bunn described surveillance concerns beyond the tracker, saying someone had access to a camera that watches City Hall. He framed the matter as a constitutional concern: an alleged violation of his Fourth Amendment rights.
Local media accounts note the dispute also involved policy disagreements over overtime pay and a proposal to prohibit officers from using city vehicles when working part time. But Bunn and others told the council the alleged tracking device was the decisive factor prompting the resignations.
What comes next
Officials have not announced a plan to recruit replacement officers or to reconstitute the Milner department. For now, residents should expect law-enforcement services from the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office while the city determines next steps. City leaders must also confront questions of governance, accountability and trust among elected officials and municipal employees.
The situation in Milner underscores how personnel disputes and alleged misconduct at the local level can rapidly affect public safety in small communities. Further developments, including any official investigation into the alleged tracker or other claims raised at the council meeting, have not been announced publicly.
Reporting for this article used council meeting statements and coverage from Atlanta News First, Fox 5 and WSB-TV.
