BREAKING: Columbus mayor announces interim police chief
Mayor Skip Henderson has appointed Chief Stoney Mathis as Interim Chief of Police of the Columbus, Georgia Police Department.
Chief Mathis’ first day on the job will be on Monday, May 8, 2023. The Interim Chief of Police is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Police Department and the management and direction of a workforce of 488 sworn officer positions, 107 civilian personnel, and an annual budget of $40.2 million.
While Mathis fills in as Interim Chief, Mayor Henderson will select an executive search firm to conduct a national search for a permanent Chief of Police.
“The Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police was a tremendous resource for us in identifying Chief Mathis as our Interim Chief. As we continue the search for our next Chief of Police, Chief Mathis’ experience, leadership, communication skills, and dedication to proactive policing make him ideally suited to serve all the citizens of Columbus,” said Mayor Skip Henderson.
Chief Stoney Mathis is an inspirational and transformational leader with 30 years in law enforcement and over 20 years of command-level experience. He believes in building relationships and promoting public safety through establishing trust and transparency between the police department and the community.
Chief Mathis began his law enforcement career in 1993 with the Monroe Police Department in Monroe, Georgia. In 1995, he moved to the Henry County Police Department, where he started as a patrol officer and worked his way up the ranks. Chief Mathis was promoted to the rank of Captain in 2002 and tasked with running the Henry County Drug Task Force. In 2005, he was promoted to Major over the Uniform Patrol Division, and in 2010 Chief Mathis was chosen to be the Deputy Chief of Police. In 2016 Chief Mathis was hired by the City of Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia, and appointed Chief of Police, where he implemented several community policing initiatives. In 2018, Chief Mathis was hired as the Chief of Police for the City of Fairburn, Georgia. During his tenure at the Fairburn Police Department from 2018 to 2022, Chief Mathis and his team reduced the crime rate by 52% even as the city saw steady growth.
Chief Mathis graduated from Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma, in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He is a 2004 graduate of the Drug Enforcement Administration (Drug Unit Commander Academy) in Quantico, Virginia; a 2007 graduate of the University of Louisville’s Southern Police Institute’s class #118; and a 2009 graduate of the Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP). In 2011, Chief Mathis received a master’s degree in public administration from Columbus State University when he completed a two-year command college program. Most recently, Chief Mathis is a 2017 graduate of the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Leadership Program, and in 2020 he was elected by his peers as the 4th Vice President of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police.
“I am excited about the opportunity to serve the citizens of Columbus and to work with the fine men and women of the Columbus Police Department. I look forward to working with Mayor Henderson, the administration, and the members of the Columbus City Council,” said Mathis.
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