The top position at the Columbus Police Department will see a new face in 2026.

In a podcast titled Behind the Badge, Police Chief Stoney Mathis announced his plans to exit from the department in 2026.

Chief Mathis changed the department around with recruitment, being in charge of a now-fully staffed department, and new policies including a take home cruisers for officers who live in Alabama.

With these changes, part one crimes in the city of Columbus have gone down. From January 1, 2024, to October 24, 2024, murder was down by 29.7%, robbery was down by 27.2%, burglary was down by 22.7%, and theft by taking (motor vehicle) was down by 16.5%. The decrease in violent and part one crimes have been reported in 2025 as well.

During the podcast, Mathis was asked what his plans were in the future. He mentioned possibly running for some type of office using his prior and current experience to determine where the needs are and how to address them in communities that are underserved.

“I’m gonna be making my exit and turning this police department over to somebody that can take it to the next 5 to 7 years,” Chief Mathis added.

Chief Stoney Mathis has been Chief of Police since October of 2023, and was Interim Chief of the department before that.

To listen to the podcast, click here > https://rss.com/podcasts/beyond-the-badge-pod1/1931777/