Director's Message and Bio

August 8, 2023

The Cobb County Department of Public Safety (DPS) is a multifaceted public safety apparatus made of the Cobb County Police, Fire, E-911, Emergency Management Agency (EMA), Animal services and Cobb County’s nationally recognized Safety village. These DPS departments and agencies are made up of over 1,800 team members who give selfless, committed, and professional services daily to approximately 800,000 residents, various Fortune 500 businesses, a variety of high-occupancy venues, and millions of visitors each year.

The mission of DPS is to provide a safe and secure community and environment through highly trained professional personnel, state of the art equipment & systems, comprehensive public safety strategies, and public safety educational services and programs.

Cobb County DPS attempts to ensure a safe environment for all citizens as they live, travel, work and visit within the county. Cobb County has a tremendous number of venues and activities that make it a popular destination. It is home to the World Series Champion Braves, numerous world-class restaurants, and beautiful trails and wooded areas throughout the county where citizens can relax, run, or bike.

The Department of Public Safety is grateful for our community and business partners, fellow county employees, and the Board of Commissioners for the partnership, confidence, and support that Cobb County DPS receives. All personnel within DPS are dedicated in giving the most professional public safety services possible and will continue to maintain the highest degree of standards and ethics as they discharge their duties.

Bio for Director Register

Michael J. Register was appointed Director of the Cobb County Department of Public Safety in June of 2023 by the Board of Commissioners. In this position, he leads a multifaceted public safety organization consisting of Police, Fire, E-911, Emergency Management, and Animal Services.

Director Register has an extensive law enforcement and public safety background. Prior to his current role as Cobb County DPS Director, Director Register was the Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, (GBI), Assistant Chief of the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, Chief of Police for Cobb County, and Chief of Police for Clayton County. In these positions Director Register had the opportunity to facilitate initiatives and programs that addressed crime while partnering with federal, state, and community partners to build safer and more secure communities.

Director Register also served as a Director with the Department of Defense (DoD) Joint IED Defeat Organization (JIEDO) at the Pentagon in Washington D.C, where he oversaw a program that gave operational and intelligence support to the various combatant commands, and worked globally with military, intelligence agencies, and law enforcement partners. Director Register has served on the Georgia POST Council, the Judicial Qualification Commission, the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force Executive Board, and other various law enforcement related organizations.

Director Register served in the military for over 20 years in US Army Special Forces, to include combat operations in Afghanistan. He has a master’s degree in Public Administration from Columbus State University and is a graduate of the FBI’s National Executive Institute and Northwestern University’s Staff and Command program.

The Cobb County Public Safety Department employs 1800+ paid personnel serving over 760,000 citizens in an area covering 345 square miles.

If you are interested in being part of a team that is committed to the community we serve, I invite you to visit the following: