New Cobb County Police Chief James Farrell outlines priorities: women officers, youth outreach, technology and workforce

James Farrell, the newly appointed police chief of Cobb County, said in an interview with Commissioner Eric Allen that he will prioritize programs to support women officers returning to duty after childbirth, expand youth outreach, boost departmental technology and invest in the department's workforce.

Farrell, who said he is 36 hours into the job, framed the position not as a promotion but as an opportunity to "take 29 years of things that you've been doing and learning in your department and be in a position to actually do things." He has spent his entire 29-year career in Cobb County law enforcement.

The chief told Allen that, after meeting with a dozen female officers at a time, the department has held about six meetings to understand the specific challenges women face returning from maternity leave. "I found out I knew absolutely nothing, absolutely nothing, about the challenges that some women faced after childbirth and coming back," Farrell said. He said those conversations are leading toward shaping a formal policy "to make that transition easier" so officers will feel comfortable returning to work.

Farrell linked that effort to broader recruitment and retention goals. "How do we attract women that want to come to work in law enforcement. Then once we attract them and get them here, how do we keep them?" he asked. He described personal recruitment conversations with female officers as a common factor in bringing women into the department.

Addressing homelessness, Farrell called the issue "a tough one to balance," saying officers must balance compassion for people experiencing homelessness with neighborhood concerns and the limits of local nonprofit resources. "We're still compassionate with the homeless population... and also understand that the homeowners and the neighbors also have concerns," he said.

On youth outreach, Farrell said he will create a service-based youth council that meets with officers and completes a project together to foster leadership and public-service values. He also proposed a youth citizen police academy to expose young people to forensics and the department's technology units, calling those efforts a recruitment tool. "I believe that our youth are our future," he said.

Farrell named three top priorities as he begins his tenure: community outreach, technology and workforce. "We're gonna push our technology... because in today's world, that's a true force multiplier for the police department," he said. He also stressed internal investment for "the over 800 employees in the police department," pointing to mental and physical wellness, professional growth and transfer opportunities.

Farrell described his pinning ceremony with family present as a personal highlight. He said his wife, Katie, pinned him and that his father and brother, who have also served as police chiefs, were there. "From a professional standpoint, [it was] one of the best days of my life," he said.

The interview was conducted by Eric Allen, Cobb County commissioner for District 2, and did not include formal votes or directives recorded in the segment.