Mableton policing contract expires forcing emergency county agreement

MABLETON, Ga. - Cobb County officials announced a temporary emergency agreement to deputize local police officers to maintain continuous law enforcement coverage in Mableton following the expiration of the primary city contract last Sunday. 

The intergovernmental agreement providing county police services to the city officially ended May 31. 

What we know:

Cobb County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Lisa Cupid explained that both sides previously voted to support a framework reached during mediation on May 22. However, county leaders learned during final execution that Mableton officials held outstanding concerns regarding how court fees and state law misdemeanors would be handled. Mableton leaders expressed a desire to route these cases through a newly established municipal court so the city could retain the associated revenue, which county officials noted is a major operational shift from how Cobb County governs its six other cities. 

To keep the public safe while contract talks remain stalled, the county established a temporary stopgap measure with the Cobb County Sheriff's Office, which holds legal jurisdiction in Mableton in the absence of an active contract. Under this partnership, officials are completing paperwork to deputize just over 100 police officers to work seamlessly within the local precinct. Public safety leaders confirmed that emergency responses, 911 calls and ongoing criminal investigations will continue without disruption. 

What we don't know:

Officials have not yet confirmed how long this temporary deputization setup will need to stay in place. County leaders emphasized that the arrangement is strictly a short-term fix and not a strategy that Mableton should rely on for the upcoming year while the new city builds its own independent police department. Additionally, it remains unclear how the two parties will resolve the court revenue dispute if contract negotiations stay stalled for weeks or months. 

The other side:

Mableton Mayor Michael Owens stated that the city received the proposed contract draft only hours before the scheduled mediation took place. According to Owens, those specific municipal court issues were never an active part of the mediation discussions. Cupid acknowledged the draft was delivered the day before mediation but asserted that Mableton leaders had plenty of opportunity during 12 hours of talks to bring up material objections. The county maintains that Mableton agreed to pay $13.5 million for one year of police services and expects the city to follow through on the terms reached in mediation.