Cobb Sheriff Owens opens new South Cobb precinct

Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens opened a new South Cobb precinct facility during a ribbon-cutting event last week. 

Owens cited the new facility as one to help fight crime in the area which was supported by the surrounding community. Said Owens who commanded the precinct for three years prior to his election as sheriff, “The south side of Cobb County is one of our busiest police precincts. I understand the complexities and how busy it is here, and this way we can add that additional support to the police department, who need it.”

The South Annex precinct is located on Old Gordon Road in Mableton, next door to Cobb County Fire Station 1, and backs up to Mableton Parkway. The repurposed two-story building was previously a county library. It will now house eight deputies from the office’s Fugitive Apprehension and Support (FAST) unit and eight from its K-9 unit downstairs. The upstairs will be the base of operations for 18 sheriff’s deputies working day and evening shifts, according to precinct Commander Ryan Mehling.

Cobb’s public safety director Randy Crider said the new precinct would offer the opportunity for South Cobb residents to build stronger relationships with law enforcement officers. “Yes, we want to help reduce crime in this area, but we also recognize building those relationships within our community is probably most important because the police are the community and the community are the police.”

Crider used the opportunity to tout the progress made in the partnership between his department and the sheriff’s office and expressed excitement at the prospect of a sheriff’s precinct accessible to the community. It helps that the precinct while backing up to Mableton Parkway, has its entrance on a residential street.