The Columbus, GA police chief is Stoney Mathis, who has led the Columbus Police Department since the Columbus Council unanimously confirmed his permanent appointment in October 2023 at a salary of $170,980.77.1Columbus Consolidated Government. Resolution No. 343-23 He had been running the department on an interim basis since May 2023 and brings more than 30 years of law enforcement experience to the job. Mathis has said he plans to step down in late 2026 or early 2027, so the city will soon be looking for its next chief.
Who Stoney Mathis Is
Mathis started in law enforcement in 1995 at the Henry County Police Department. He made captain in 2002 and led the Henry County Drug Task Force, took over the Uniform Patrol Division as a major in 2005, and rose to deputy chief by 2010.2Columbus Consolidated Government. Columbus Police Department – Chief of Police
He later served as chief in Chattahoochee Hills beginning in 2016 and then as chief of the Fairburn Police Department starting in 2018. During his time in Fairburn, the department reduced crime by 52 percent even as the city’s population grew.2Columbus Consolidated Government. Columbus Police Department – Chief of Police
His academic and training background includes a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma (1992), a master’s in public administration from Columbus State University, graduation from the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Leadership Program in 2017, the Drug Unit Commander Academy at the DEA facility in Quantico, and the Southern Police Institute at the University of Louisville.2Columbus Consolidated Government. Columbus Police Department – Chief of Police
How the Chief Is Appointed
Columbus’s charter puts the mayor in charge of public safety, so the mayor oversees the police, fire, and prison departments and picks the police chief. That choice does not take effect on the mayor’s say-so alone. The charter requires confirmation by at least six of the ten members of the Columbus Council before the appointment is final.3Columbus Consolidated Government. Charter for Columbus, Georgia
There is no fixed term. The chief serves at the pleasure of the appointing authority and can be removed through the same Council-approval process. On operations, the chief reports to the mayor; the city manager handles broader administrative matters such as citywide personnel policies and budget preparation.
What the Chief Does
Section 4-322 of the Columbus Code of Ordinances names the chief as the department’s top executive, with authority over every sworn officer and civilian employee.4Columbus, GA Code of Ordinances. Columbus Code of Ordinances – Article IV, Chapter 3, Subchapter A That covers hiring, training, assignments, promotions, and discipline up to termination. The chief also writes the department’s internal rules, sets operational policy, and can delegate those duties to subordinate commanders.
The chief prepares the department’s annual budget for the mayor and city manager and manages it day to day. Operational decisions include how patrol zones are drawn, how investigative units are structured, and where special details are deployed. The department is authorized for 371 sworn officers and is the primary law enforcement agency for roughly 200,000 residents of the consolidated city-county. By early 2024, staffing had rebuilt to 367 officers, close to authorized strength.
Training is a legal duty, not just a management one. Georgia requires every peace officer to complete at least 20 hours of continuing education each calendar year, and the chief has to make sure the department’s programs meet that bar and that officers stay certified.5Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council. Annual Training Requirements
The Coming Transition
Mathis publicly announced in March 2025 that he intends to leave the chief’s position, initially aiming for sometime in 2026 and later adjusting that to around January 2027. He has said he wants a role in choosing his successor and has suggested the mayor consider members of his current command staff.
The selection is likely to follow the path used when Mathis was hired: the city would contract with an outside firm to assess departmental needs, recruit candidates, and present finalists to the mayor. Columbus holds a mayoral election in May 2025, so the outgoing and incoming mayors may share the transition. Whoever is picked still needs at least six Council votes for confirmation.
Contacting the Chief’s Office
The department is based at the Public Safety Building, 510 10th Street, Columbus, GA 31902. The Chief of Police’s office can be reached at (706) 225-3100.6Columbus Police Department. Contact Police reports and other department records are available through Georgia’s Open Records Act by email at cpdopenrecords@columbusga.org, through the department’s online portal, in person at the Public Safety Building, or by mail. Readily available records are typically provided within three business days; 911 call center materials generally take two to eight weeks.7Columbus Police Department. Open Records