Sheriff Craig Owens Appoints New Assistant Chief Deputy
Gina V. Hawkins Brings Over 34 Years of Law Enforcement Experience to the Role

 MARIETTA, GA – Sheriff Craig Owens announced the appointment of Gina V. Hawkins as the new Assistant Chief Deputy at the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office.

This executive-level position will oversee the Uniformed Operations, Criminal Investigations, Training, and Internal Affairs.

“Chief Hawkins is a visionary and trailblazing leader,” said Owens. “It made perfect sense to bring in an incredible leader committed to 21st-century policing and law enforcement management to oversee our externally facing operations.” 

From 1988 to 2017, Hawkins served with the City of Atlanta, Sandy Springs, and Clayton County Police Departments. In 2017, she was appointed Chief of Police for the City of Fayetteville, North Carolina, making her the very first female, first African American, and first Hispanic Police Chief in Fayetteville history.

Hawkins’ executive skills include strategic planning, risk management, alternative policing strategies, organizational transformation, governmental investigation, modernization, crisis response, and establishing best practices and operational infrastructure.

She is a graduate of the FBI National Associates Academy and earned her master’s degree in management from John Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Georgia State University.  

Before joining the sheriff’s office, Hawkins was responsible for decreasing overall crime by nearly 30% in Fayetteville from 2017 to 2021 and advocating and attaining a 35% salary increase for officers under her leadership. 

“I am excited about the opportunity to return and serve in the community I raised my daughters,” said Hawkins. “I am humbled to be able to join the dedicated team at the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office and share Sheriff Owens’ commitment to transparent, community-oriented leadership.”

Hawkins is the Vice President of the National Association of Women in Law Enforcement, Co-Chair of the American Bar Association Criminal Justice Law Enforcement Committee, and a member of the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange, Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association, and National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives. 

The appointment will be effective July 17, 2023.

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About the Cobb County Sheriff's Office: The Cobb County Sheriff’s Office is a law enforcement agency that executes a broad range of services which include but are not limited to Jail Operations, Court Security, Criminal Warrant Execution, Civil Process Service, Mental Health Transports, Forgery/Fraud Investigation, and Fugitive Investigation and Apprehension. Sheriff Craig Owens took over the office on Jan. 1, 2021, and leads a staff of more than 800 deputies and civilians. Under his leadership, the Sheriff’s Office has the most diverse command staff in its nearly 200-year history and is on the path to becoming the best law enforcement agency in the State of Georgia. To learn more about the Cobb County Sheriff's Office, visit https://www.cobbsheriff.org/. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Download the Cobb County Sheriff's Office App!