WARNER, Okla. — There were many questions during Warner's monthly town council meeting Tuesday.
Most involved the absence of their five-man police department, which quit on July 20.
- Previous coverage >>> Town of Warner's entire police department reportedly steps down
Some at the meeting said they aren't happy that Muskogee County Sheriff's Office must step in.
"You used to see officers all the time," attendee Jim Hunt said during the meeting.
"We had to wait for three hours for police service the other night," another resident added.
"Those deputies don't deserve to be spread thinner than they already are," Daren Staley told 2 News.
Staley said he quit the town police force three years ago and has little faith in the meetings.
“I don’t think it’ll solve much of anything, if anything," he said. "But we, as the town of Warner, we’ve had meetings like these before, and the town council has failed to address the real issue.”
Bobby Tripp said he was forced to quit as a town employee earlier this year and that most people he knows are upset with town officials.
- Previous coverage >>> Warner town officials to discuss lack of police dept. at upcoming meeting
"There's a reason for five grown men to actually have to step down from their job and quit," Tripp said.
2 News requested to speak to the mayor, the city attorney, and council members so they could give their side of what happened and how they can guarantee the safety of the town.
They all declined to comment.
The Warner Town Council voted to accept the resignation of the police department without discussion during the meeting.
The council did say it expects a new force to be sworn in by October and has placed ads for applicants.
Former police chief and current council member Terry Thompson told those in attendance they couldn't talk about personnel issues.
"We appreciate you guys being here. We don't resent it," Thompson said. "And we want to be transparent with everything. There's certain things that we can't discuss."
The town's vice mayor Caryn Miller resigned from her position during Tuesday's meeting, citing family commitments.
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