1945, 1948 Edwin C. Flanagan Jr., 1946 Clinton V. McClurg, 1948 Ernest B. Sutton, 1949 Guerry L. Dobbins, 1950 Clayton Logan, 1951 James J. Musso, 1952, 1958 Norman T. Kent, 1953 Wilbur Y. Wooten, 1954 S. Scott Kelly, 1955 Mac H. Cunningham, 1956 Earl W. Bowen, 1957 William M. Hollis, 1958 R. Tom Joyner Jr., c. 1959 William G. Cooper Jr., 1960 Reuben H. Gibson, 1961 Morris J. Pritchard, 1962 William H. Lofton, 1963 R. Harold Grizzard, 1964 James R. West, 1965 Lois Q. Searl, 1965 John H. Woodall Jr., 1966 W. Jack Day, 1967 George W. Trask, 1968, 1969, 1974 Marvin H. Henderson Jr., 1970 Joe P. Ruthven, 1971 Charles E. Whitten, 1972 John S. Jackson, 1972, 1973 W. Carl Dicks, 1975 Peggy C. Brown, 1976, 1984 Charles A. Coleman, 1977 John Tolson, 1977 Curtis I. Walker, 1978 George R. Burt, 1979 Carrie R. Oldham, 1980, first African-American female mayor R. Larry Turnipseed, 1981 J. Larry Durrence, 1982, 1986 Frank J. O'Reilly, 1983, 1987, 1989–1993 Thomas R. Shaw, 1985 Willie J. Williams, 1988 Buddy Fletcher, 1993–2009 Gow Fields, 2010–2013, first African-American mayor elected in the city R. Howard Wiggs, 2014–2018 Bill Mutz, 2018–present Law enforcement On September 28, 2006, Polk County Sheriff's Deputy Vernon "Matt" Williams and his K-9 partner Diogi were shot and killed after a routine traffic stop in the Wabash area of Lakeland. More than 500 police officers from a variety of law enforcement agencies joined in a search for Angilo Freeland, suspected of murdering Williams and stealing his gun. Freeland was found hiding in a rural area the next morning. Nine officers from five different law enforcement agencies surrounded Freeland and shot him when he raised Williams' stolen gun at them. A total of 110 shots were fired, and Freeland was hit 68 times, killing him instantly. Multiple investigations concluded the officers' use of force was justified. Deputy Williams and Diogi were laid to rest on October 3, 2006, after a funeral that included a one-hour-and-45-minute procession to Auburndale. In 2021, the Lakeland Police Department hired numerous former NYPD officers. Two of the new hires failed to disclose that they had been disciplined by the NYPD, and one new hire used to work in the NYPD's notorious anti-crime units which were disbanded after high-profile scandals. Education The 28 elementary schools, seven middle schools, six traditional high schools, and three magnet-choice high schools in the Lakeland