Mableton announces formation of own police department

The City of Mableton Mayor’ Office announced that the city is preparing to launch its own Public Safety Division, which will include police services. The city will hold a Town Hall meeting on June 15 to address the city’s plan.

The news of a transition to a Mableton police department was broken by Cobb Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Lisa Cupid in a press conference earlier this week about the Intergovernmental Agreement negotiations between Cobb and the city.

This is in the wake of a rift between the county and the city over whether Mableton’s municipal court will handle misdemeanor cases brought by Cobb police officers, and a set of lengthy negotiations between Cobb County and Mableton over the cost to the city for police services.

It was widely believed, and announced by the county and the city, that an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) had been reached, until the issue of processing misdemeanors caused the finalization of the agreement to stall.

Here is the statement, reprinted from the city’s website:

The City of Mableton announced today that it is initiating the preparatory phase to establish its own independent Public Safety Division, which will include law enforcement services. The decision follows mediation facilitated on May 22, 2026, between the City of Mableton and Cobb County. The City entered seeking a long-term and stable law enforcement agreement with Cobb County through 2034; however, the agreement proposed and adopted by the county prohibits the extension of the police services intergovernmental agreement to Mableton beyond one year. 

Following negotiations, and upon consulting with legal counsel, public safety subject matter experts, and financial advisors, City leadership concluded that establishing City facilitated public safety services could save the City millions of dollars annually, while establishing a pathway to provide greater local control, accountability, and long-term stability.  This path also gives the City greater ability to focus on Mableton Specific Public Safety Enhancements, Code Enforcement, Emergency Management, and reinvestment of special event revenues back into the Mableton community.

City officials emphasize that public safety remains secure during this transition. Cobb County police officers have been deputized through the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office to continue responding to calls for service. Residents experiencing an emergency should continue to call 911 without hesitation.

“Our primary duty is the safety and security of every family, business, and neighborhood in Mableton,” said Mayor Michael Owens. “While we sought a long-term partnership with the County, recent developments have made it clear that Mableton must prepare to take greater responsibility for its own future. Our goal is to create a public safety organization that is responsive, accountable, financially responsible, and designed specifically for the needs of our community.”

The new Public Safety Division will be built upon three core principles:

Local Control and Long-Term Stability –
Creating a sustainable public safety model that provides Mableton residents with reliable service, local accountability, and protection from future uncertainty associated with short-term contractual arrangements.

Community-Focused Investment –
Ensuring local tax dollars are invested directly into public safety personnel, technology, emergency preparedness, code enforcement, and community programs tailored specifically to Mableton’s needs.

Accountability and Responsiveness-
Building an organization that reflects the values of the community and remains directly accountable to the residents it serves.

“I want to be absolutely clear: if you experience an emergency and dial 911, you will still receive a response,” Mayor Owens emphasized. “We have tremendous respect for the frontline officers who continue serving our community every day. This effort is about ensuring that Mableton has a stable, sustainable, and locally controlled public safety framework that can serve residents for generations to come.”

The City of Mableton will host a town hall meeting to answer residents’ questions to outline the roadmap for the City’s new Public Safety Division. The meeting will be held on Monday, June 15, 2026, from 6-8 p.m. at the Riverside EpiCenter, 135 Riverside Parkway. More updates will be provided on the City’s social media channels and through www.mableton.gov.