Two deputy chiefs are being considered for Cobb County’s next police chief.

John Houser, from the department’s Uniform Division, and Ron Storey, from the Detective Division, emerged as the top two candidates after the first round of interviews.

County Manager David Hankerson will make a recommendation to the county’s board of commissioners, which could vote on a new chief as early as its next meeting Aug. 10, said county spokesman Robert Quigley.

The new chief will replace former chief George Hatfield, the longtime department director who retired earlier this year as part of the county’s early retirement program. Hatfield had been with the county's police force for 39 years.

The deputy chiefs are currently reporting to Hankerson following last week’s resignation of public safety director Mickey Lloyd. An interim replacement for Lloyd will be announced this week, Quigley said.

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Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, seen here in a file photo from Nov. 14, 2024, is conducting a statewide audit of voter registrations targeting registrations at businesses and P.O. boxes for possible cancelation. (Jason Getz / AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com