Entire Police Force Of Indiana Town Quits At Same Time

Cops are some of the most dedicated people on the planet. You can’t ask just anybody to put on a badge and walk into dangerous situations every day. Most of us wouldn’t last an hour on the job. Heck, most of us wouldn’t last past the first donut. So you know the folks in blue who come in day after day are a special kind of dedicated. So what do you have to do to make not just one officer, but an entire force resign? Well, one town in Indiana found out. You can only push your police force so far. Cross enough lines and they just won’t take it anymore.

The town of Bunker Hill, Indiana found itself without a police force after every officer, including the Town Marshal, walked off the job.

What could make an entire police force quit en masse? In this case, the officers blame the town’s council.

They’re not a large force, but after former Town Marshal Michael Thomison and four reserve deputies submitted their resignations, the town finds itself without a force altogether, and the town’s council can only look in the mirror.

According to the Kokomo Tribune, the officers had finally had enough after years of mismanagement and repeated requests to “be involved in illegal, unethical and immoral things over time.” Bunker Hill councilors reportedly asked Marshal Thomison and his deputies to conduct criminal background checks on other council members and requested confidential information.”I have had to educate them on the things they were asking from me and explained that I would not take part in any of these actions,” Thomison said.

Safety was also a big concern as the officers had to share one set of body armor between them, putting them at risk during arrests and when serving warrants.

“I did not want to send someone out there with bad body armor so I would take mine off and provide it to the other officers. I told them we have to provide this, there is an IC code that explains that and says that the town has to provide that body armor,” said Thomison.

Working conditions were also personally difficult for Thomison, who was diagnosed with cancer a year ago.

After he came back to work from his treatment, the town council only allowed him to work part-time, which Thomison says was a purely financial decision. “They came at me and said it is costing the town way too much money because of my insurance and they said we are taking you down to part-time,” he said. He told the Kokomo Tribune that he didn’t want to step down, “but the longer I stay there, the harder it is to get anything done. It’s time to step away and do something else.”

In addition to the police force, the town’s building commissioner and the council’s vice-president also stepped down.

While the council grapples with its problems, the county will take over policing duties, patrolling the roads and responding to calls. “I know that they are scrambling and have contacted some other officers that do not want the position,” said Thomison.