Is Columbus’ police chief leaving the department soon? He clarifies recent statement

Columbus Police Chief Stoney Mathis announced in the department’s first podcast he probably will step down as police chief in 2026.

In a written statement emailed to media Wednesday, a few days after the podcast was released, Mathis said, “Let me be clear — I am not resigning. During a recent episode of Beyond the Badge, I mentioned my plans to leave in 2026. That could mean anytime that year, including December. Unfortunately, that statement was taken out of context, leading to speculation that I am stepping down now. That is simply not true.”

“We still have important work to do, and I intend to see it through,” Mathis said in the statement.

In an interview with the Ledger-Enquirer he said, “Well, you know, I’ve said from the beginning that I was not gonna be the long-term police chief, that I was gonna come in two or three years, stabilize the police department, get it on the right track and then turn it over to someone that can take it to the next five to seven years.”

Mathis told the Ledger-Enquirer he is going to start planning his exit in 2026 so a new chief possibly can take over in 2027.

When asked if there was anyone he supported to take over as chief after his departure, Mathis said, “What I’ve been trying to do is mentor several of the command staff, and that decision is 100% up to the mayor, but I’ve been mentoring several of the command staff, so I have several options for the mayor to choose from, if that’s what he chooses to do.”

Mathis said he was the first police chief hired from outside the department when the interim title was dropped from his position in October 2023.

“Sometimes it’s good to hire from the outside,” he said. “Sometimes it’s good to hire from the inside.”

Mathis said he has sent members of the command staff to outside training, such as the FBI National Academy, to give them viewpoints of places outside of Columbus.

“Columbus, when I came in, there were a lot of things they do that were stuck in the ‘90s. We just need to modernize not only their concepts but their best practices,” Mathis said.

Mathis said he hopes the department keeps becoming more modern after his departure.

In the podcast interview, Mathis said he might run for political office after his departure. When asked whether there is a certain role he would pursue, Mathis said he doesn’t know yet.

“I’ve got my eyes and ears open. I just think that I’d be a good voice for the community, whether it’s a diverse community or whether it’s a community closer to Atlanta or anywhere in the state,” Mathis said. “I just feel like I’m a good representative of the underserved community.

Mathis said he has talked about his departure with Mayor Skip Henderson.

“I’ve had long conversations with the mayor, and I’m not gonna be here any longer than the mayor is in office,” Mathis said.

Henderson was re-elected to his second four-year term in 2022. Columbus mayors aren’t allowed to run for a third term.

“If he leaves, I leave,” Mathis said. “ . . . I’m gonna start trying to prepare some of my current command staff to take over the role, but again, that’s 100% the decision of the mayor,” Mathis said.