The tiny city of Milner, Georgia, has fewer residents than most blocks in Sarasota, and by the end of October it will have no police department at all. All five full-time officers, including Chief Lamar Bunn, have resigned, and most reserve officers followed. City Manager Tausha Grose is leaving too, effective October 30, according to reporting from our Suncoast news partners.
The dispute centers on trust. Chief Bunn said he doesn’t trust the city council or Mayor Craig Timmons, and he accused the mayor of placing a tracker on his personal truck. Bunn also said the walkout wasn’t something he organized, telling reporters he never told anyone to quit. A former council member, Skip Seda, is already pushing the idea of unincorporating Milner if it loses both its police force and its city manager. Residents pay taxes, he argues, and tax money is supposed to buy services.
For now, the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office is expected to cover the city once the department’s last day arrives on October 28. Stories like this one land close to home for anyone who lives in a small coastal community, because public safety here depends on the same thing it depends on there: trust between the people in charge and the people who show up for work every day. What would you do if your town lost its whole police force in a single week? Share your thoughts on our page.
