COBB COUNTY, GA — Mableton residents are getting more details after the city and Cobb County reached an agreement to keep county police officers patrolling the city for one more year.
Under the agreement, Mableton will pay Cobb County $13 million for police services. After that, the city will be required to create its own police department.
“The contract that was written was there are no extensions to this contract. There’s a one year deal with no extensions,” Mayor Michael Owens said.
City leaders discussed the agreement during a town hall meeting with residents.
Owens said residents should not notice any changes in police coverage during the one-year agreement.
“They won’t see anything different at all, at least right now through this agreement, and they haven’t seen anything change throughout this entire time,” Owens said.
Owens also said Cobb County police officers will continue responding to calls in the city.
“Local Cobb County police department and the fine officers that they have are on the beat, they’re on the streets, they’re answering calls as normal, they’re answering non-emergency calls as well as emergency calls,” Owens said.
City leaders said Mableton is working on a plan to create its own police department before the agreement expires.
“It’s about local governance, it’s about local jurisdictions, it’s about why this city became a city to begin with,” Owens said.
City Manager William Tanks told residents a city police department would cost less than a long-term arrangement with Cobb County.
“It was going to cost us $22 million from the city to the county,” Tanks said.
Owens said the city wants to chart its own path when it comes to public safety.
“Because we want to be able to charter our own path, residents want to be able to have their own say. Cobb County is a big county,” Owens said.
Mableton officially became a city in 2022 following a voter referendum. City leaders have been in discussions with Cobb County since then about a long-term plan for police protection.
Officials said residents will continue to have police and 911 services while the city works to establish its own police department over the next year.
WSB Radio’s Keith Cromwell contributed to this story.