MABLETON, Ga. — A police department is pivoting to continue patrolling a local city. Cobb County provides some services to the City of Mableton, but that contract expired this week.
Channel 2’s Courtney Francisco learned how officers will cover the city without an agreement.
The sheriff’s office has jurisdiction there now, so the sheriff must deputize Cobb County police officers who patrol Mableton.
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Cobb County police are assuring residents that services will not change even though local leaders cannot agree on a coverage contract.
“It’s completely unreasonable for us to be held hostage with respect to the terms of this agreement," Cobb County Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said.
Cupid called a news conference with the public safety director and chief of police to respond to safety concerns.
“This is absolutely frustrating,” Cupid said.
Mableton officially became a city in 2022 and says it needs another year to build its own police force.
For now, Cobb County police patrol the area, but the contract pertaining to those services and payments expired on May 31.
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Mableton Mayor Michael Owens says he wants to continue negotiating a section of the contract that involves state court revenue.
“This is not a delay, this is due diligence,” he said.
He wants Mableton’s Municipal Court to earn money from certain misdemeanor cases.
“We have to give every bit of money to cobb county from our own municipal court?” he questioned.
The county argued that the topic should have come up earlier because it would have changed the price of services.
“You’re talking about operational changes, technological changes, that require the time, require effort, require money that was not considered,” Cupid said. “We will not allow the current situation to continue for weeks or months.”
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