Police Dept. Quits After Finding Out What It Feels Like to Be Tracked

Milner, Georgia, a town of about 772 residents, lost its full-time police department after Mayor Craig Timmons secretly placed a GPS tracker on Police Chief Lamar Bunn’s vehicle. Timmons said he was concerned about Bunn’s timesheets, which required the mayor’s signature. He paid for the tracker himself and acted without first seeking City Council approval. Local reports also described a surveillance camera directed toward City Hall, though its authorization and purpose were less clear. Rather than use formal channels such as a timesheet audit, documented performance review, or council-authorized inquiry, Timmons handled the concern through covert surveillance.

Bunn maintained that he had done nothing wrong and sought outside advice about whether the tracking violated his rights or the law; reporting established no definitive legal finding or criminal charge. Bunn, all five full-time officers, most reserve personnel, and City Manager Tausha Grose resigned, with the police departures taking effect October 28, 2026. A resignation letter cited broader concerns about the mayor’s and some council members’ judgment and decision-making, not just the tracker. The Lamar County Sheriff’s Office was expected to cover the town, though the arrangement’s details were not officially confirmed. The episode is presented as a breakdown of governance and trust: the tracker exposed deeper leadership concerns, and residents were left without their own full-time police force.