Matt Blackstock
Deputy Chief, Bureau of Investigative Services

Deputy Chief Matt Blackstock

Deputy Chief Matt Blackstock joined the Columbus Police Department on October 4, 1993, as a Patrol Officer. Over the years, he has served in the Patrol Division and the Bureau of Investigative Services, working in Burglary and Theft before joining the Homicide Unit. He was later promoted to Sergeant, serving in Robbery/Assault/Homicide and Special Operations, where he supervised the Tactical Squad and K-9 Officers. As a Lieutenant, he served as an Assistant Shift Commander in the Patrol Division, and as a Captain, he worked as a Shift Commander before leading the Special Operations Unit. He later returned to the Bureau of Investigative Services as a Captain. 

In his current role as Deputy Chief of the Bureau of Investigative Services, he oversees Violent Crimes, Property Crimes, Special Victims, Crime Scene, Digital Forensics, the Real Time Crime Center, and Special Operations. 

Deputy Chief Blackstock holds a Master’s in Justice Administration from Columbus State University and a Bachelor’s in Forensic Science and Law Enforcement from Jacksonville State University. He is a member of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police.

Bureau of Investigative Services

The Bureau of Investigative Services provides follow-up and specialized investigative services. The bureau is headed by a Deputy Chief and two Captains directly under the Deputy Chief's command. One of the Captains is the Executive Officer for the bureau, while the other Captain oversees the Special Operations Division. The bureau is currently composed of the following divisions: Homicide Division, Robbery/Assault Division, Property Crimes Division, Crime Scene Division, and the Special Operations Division.

Homicide Division

The Homicide Division investigates criminal or suspicious deaths that involve long-term and/or high-profile investigations. This division handles both recent cases and pursues unsolved cases from previous years.

Robbery / Assault Division

The Robbery and Assault Division investigates, within this division, other part one crimes, including commercial and personal robberies, as well as assault crimes.

Property Crimes Division

The Property Crimes Division is comprised of four units.

The Burglary/Theft Unit investigates burglaries, felony thefts and various types of property damage.

The Pawnshop Unit oversees local pawnshop businesses which include the following: Checking pawnshop articles for possible stolen items, entering and maintaining a computerized database of all pawned articles, and investigating persons involved with stolen pawned articles.

The Financial Crimes Unit investigates activities involving improper use of documents of legal tender and other criminal activities commonly referred to as "white collar" crimes.

The Adult/Youth Services Unit concentrates on the illegal activities of juveniles (under 17) to include Ungovernable/Runaways. This unit also investigates and reports missing persons of any age.

Crime Scene Division

The Crime Scene Division is a highly specialized unit consisting of trained and certified technicians who provide photo and evidence processing at crime scenes.

Special Operations Division

The Special Operations Division investigates all complaints concerning narcotics, trafficking, prostitution, gambling and ABC violations. In addition, this unit consists of a Tactical Unit that can be deployed to handle any situation that requires an immediate law enforcement response, such as a crime suppression detail for burglaries and robberies.


Contact Us

Homicide Division                           (706) 225-3161
Robbery/Assault Division               (706) 225-3162
Sexual Assault Unit                         (706) 225-3164
Crime Scene Division                     (706) 653-3460
Burglary/Theft Unit                         (706) 653-3424
Financial Crimes Unit                     (706) 225-3151
Adult/Youth Services Unit               (706) 653-3449    
Special Operations Division           (706) 653-3112