MABLETON, Georgia — The Mableton City Council appointed Kerry Stallings as the city’s first public safety director Wednesday, putting the veteran law enforcement executive in charge of developing the new city’s public safety operation and police department.
Stallings will oversee the development, structure and administration of Mableton’s municipal public safety framework, including the new Mableton Police Department. His appointment marks a significant step as the city builds its own government operations and public safety infrastructure.
The council approved Stallings’ appointment in a 5-1 vote on Aug. 26. Mayor Michael Owens and council members Ron Davis, Cassandra Brown, T.J. Ferguson and Debora Herndon voted in favor. Councilwoman Keisha Jeffcoat opposed the appointment, while Councilman Michael McNeely was absent.
Stallings currently serves as chief of police for the University System of Georgia, where he has overseen public safety operations across 25 public institutions.
Stallings previously served as a police captain in Powder Springs and holds a doctorate in public administration. He also serves on the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council. His career includes work on an electronic crimes task force, mental health advocacy in law enforcement and receipt of the Governor’s Public Safety Award for Heroism. The International Association of Chiefs of Police previously named him among its “40 Under 40” leaders.
Stallings is expected to begin his new role in the coming weeks. The appointment comes as more than 2,100 people have signed a petition calling on the Georgia General Assembly to examine the future of the city of Mableton and consider a process for dissolving the municipality.
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