MCCOLL, S.C. (WBTW) -- The town of McColl is embroiled in controversy after its entire police force announced plans to resign. Mayor George Garner confirmed the resignations on Thursday. Among those leaving is Chief Bob Hale, who was hired in June 2023, who said Thursday in a Facebook post on Thursday that he wanted to "exit quietly" and with "minimal attention." Departing Police Chief Bob Hale / Courtesy town of McColl "However, I realized that I'd be doing every citizen and future employee a huge disservice by not speaking truthfully about our departures," Hale said. "I want to thank everyone for their support and prayers during my tenure in McColl. Please continue to pray for me and my fellow officers but more importantly please pray for one of the most underrated and special places in this entire state. Thank you for everything, McColl." Hale said in his post that his decision to resign was the result of "repeated acts of harassment" and "personal attacks" on his character. He cited "the overall creation of a hostile work environment perpetuated by a specific Councilman," adding that he has experienced "unwarranted and malicious behavior aimed at undermining my integrity and leadership." In his post, Hale also said a "significant amount of money was cut from our already depleted budget by the same Councilman upon his arrival to his elected position." He said he repeatedly asked for funding to "modernize equipment, enhance training, and increase staffing levels" to no avail "This lack of investment hampered our ability to operate at the standard the citizens of the Town of McColl rightfully expect and deserve," he said in the post. "The safety of the residents and the well-being of the officers should have been prioritized by committing the necessary resources to build a department capable of addressing the complexities of 21st-century policing. Sadly, this was not the case and the majority of my tenure as Chief of Police was spent clearing the names of my officers as well as myself, from the numerous falsehoods that were made against us." Garner, when asked whether the resignations had anything to do with pay, said he thinks the department has the highest-paid certified officers in Marlboro County, working at $20 an hour. News13 attempted to contact all of the town council members -- including Brian Blue, Ronna Kubas, Jody Stubbs, Clayton Cummings and David Garner -- but was only able to talk to Harry Benjamin, who said he was "shocked, just like everyone else" by the departures. Benjamin told News13 that he doesn't know what led to the resignations. He said he had read Hale's Facebook post but does not know which council member Hale was referring to in his post. He also said a statement Hale sent to the town did not include many of the details included in Hale's Facebook. Responding to Hale's comments about the budget, Benjamin said the town council makes decisions as a whole as opposed to one council member making decisions. He added that he wishes Hale the best. As for the future of the McColl Police Department, Garner said he has received some applications for the police chief position already. In the meantime, he said the Marlboro County Sheriff's Office is required to help cover the town, though the sheriff's office is also short-staffed. Garner said he thinks the problem will lead to longer response times for calls in the town. He said he has contacted the city of Bennettsville to get help but that the two municipalities do not currently have an agreement in place and that the city council would have to approve the request. Garner said he has also reached out to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to see if they can help out until McColl can get its department fully staffed again. He also said he hopes that once Larry McNeil returns as Marlboro County sheriff in January things will get back to normal. Newly elected state Sen. JD Chaplin also weighed in on the situation with a statement to News13. "“As the newly elected Senator, we will work with the County Sheriff’s office to make sure every citizen and their property are safe and protected while this situation is resolved,” he said. It's not the first time McColl has had a problem with staffing it police department. In May, a now-former police captain was accused of misconduct, assault and battery. Before that, the then-police chief resigned, citing a hostile work environment allegedly caused by Garner.