Michael Register sworn in as Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation

Former Cobb County Police Chief Michael Register was sworn in last week as the Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). Following his swearing-in, the new GBI Director said his top priorities will be tackling street gangs, supporting local law enforcement, and building public trust.

Register takes over as the head of this government agency from former Cobb District Attorney Vic Reynolds who was appointed to the Cobb Superior Court by Kemp. Register will lead the state agency with nearly 850 employees and a budget of $130 million per year.

Register joins the GBI after having served as an assistant chief deputy to Cobb Sheriff Craig Owens. He served in the military for 23 years, including duty in Afghanistan, before joining law enforcement, working his way up to chief of the Clayton County Police Department. He also served as Cobb County’s Public Safety Director. Said Register of his appointment, “We’ve got to continue to work with initiatives that keep our young people out of gangs, or help them get out of gangs. But if a person chooses a different route and chooses to be in a gang, we can’t — then the other approach is the enforcement approach.”