GBI Director Mike Register resigning to return to his former position as Cobb County Public Safety Director

Cobb County Police Chief Michael Register (photo by Larry Felton Johnson)Then-Cobb County Police Chief Michael Register who is now the GBI Director (photo by Larry Felton Johnson)

According to a public information release from Cobb County, the Cobb County Board of Commissioners will vote on June 27 to appoint Michael Register as the county’s Public Safety Director, a position he previously held.

Register will resign from his current position as director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation in order to take on this role.

He took on the position of GBI Director in August of 2023, after serving as Assistant Chief in the Cobb Sheriff’s Office.

He has been in public safety for 30 years, having held positions such as Public Safety Director for Cobb County, Chief of Police for Cobb County, and Chief of Police for Clayton County and then his positions in the Cobb Sheriff’s Office and the GBI. According to the public information release he is known for his commitment to community policing and for creating connections with different communities.

Register will replace Randy Crider, who retired at the end of 2022, and Fire Chief Bill Johnson, who has been functioning as the interim director since the start of the year. The board will vote on Register’s appointment on June 27, 2023, at 7 p.m. in the BOC Meeting Room at 100 Cherokee Street in Marietta.

“We are thrilled that he has agreed to come back and lead Public Safety in Cobb,” said Chairwoman Lisa Cupid. “We are making tremendous strides in public safety, and it will be a tremendous benefit to our citizens to have a director who has already forged relationships in the community and has a deep understanding of the opportunities we have as a county.”

“I am happy to have Mike return to Cobb with his breadth of knowledge and experience,” said County Manager Dr. Jackie McMorris. “I look forward to working with him again.”

“It has been an honor to be the director of the GBI and serve under one of Georgia’s greatest governors, Brian Kemp,” Register wrote. “I leave a great law enforcement agency with some of the most dedicated and competent professionals I have ever worked with. I look forward to leading the tremendous men and women who make up public safety in Cobb County and once again serve a great community.”