The Mableton City Council voted unanimously on October 6, 2026, to approve Dr Anita Allen as the first police chief of a Georgia city that has never had its own department.
Mableton, in metro Atlanta, has relied on a county agreement for public safety. That agreement ends on June 1, 2027, and the department Allen is standing up is expected to take over operations by then. It will hire 70 sworn officers and 10 civilian employees.
Allen said the first thing she wants is a relationship. “I want to bridge the gap, have community policing, have officers that can come out to the six districts to be able to have a relationship with our community, and so they can trust us, be heard, feel valued,” she said. She addressed residents directly. “Your voice will be heard. We’re going to treat you with integrity and fairness, and we’re going to give you the utmost respect,” she said. She closed with five words: “Let’s get to work.”
She was equally specific about who she is looking to hire. “I’m looking for these officers with integrity and professionalism, have a compassion to serve, and also be able to come in and build relationships and bridge the gap in the community,” she said.
Allen brings more than 25 years of law enforcement and public safety experience. She is a former president of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, has held leadership roles at Albany State University and Fort Valley State University, and previously worked with the Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office. She currently serves as police chief at Albany State University.
The pay scale published with the appointment, which the council has still to ratify, starts at $66,000 for academy recruits with a high school diploma or GED and rises to $81,500 based on experience and education. It carries 14 holidays, take-home vehicles and front-loaded paid time off.
