Austell police chief resigns, plans to spend time with family

AUSTELL, Ga. — Austell Police Chief Scott Hamilton announced his resignation Thursday.

Hamilton was the City of Austell’s first African American police chief, and leaves the position after serving in it for two-and-a-half years. Before that, he spent decades on the force, including time at the Cobb County Police Department.

While chief of the Austell Police Department, Hamilton and his staff worked to to have the department receive its first certification in its history, a process that is still underway.

City of Austell officials said they will miss Hamilton but are excited for his next chapter, whatever it may be.

“First, I would like to thank God, my Lord and Savior, for with him, all things are possible. I would like to thank Mayor Ollie Clemons, Austell City Council, and the loyal citizens of Austell for allowing me to be their Police Chief for the past 2 1/2 years. I’ve decided to step down as the Police Chief,” Hamilton said in a statement. “It has been my responsibility to ensure that the safety and quality of life for the citizens of Austell is preserved. I also have a responsibility to my staff to provide an environment for career development, training, and education. I feel I have completed both of those tasks. My command staff is fully prepared to continue the journey we have started to ensure Austell PD is one of the best police departments in the state.”

As far as what he’ll be doing once he’s out of office, Hamilton said he felt “it’s time to spend some quality time with my family and make some decisions about the next chapter.”

The city has not yet announced who will lead the department next in the interim, or if an executive search is already underway.

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