Savannah Police Fire Six Employees for Misusing License Plate Reader System

Employee Terminations Following Investigation

The Savannah Police Department (SPD) has fired four sworn officers and two civilian employees after an internal investigation revealed misuse of the department's Flock Safety License Plate Reader (LPR) system. These terminations stem from a proactive review of system activity that identified searches unrelated to legitimate law enforcement duties.

Details of Misconduct

The SPD's administrative investigation determined that the employees violated departmental policies regarding the authorized use of law enforcement technology. Findings included employees performing searches on personal acquaintances and family members. Additionally, one officer was found to have provided unauthorized access to the SPD's Flock Safety system to an individual from an outside law enforcement agency.

Detection and Oversight Measures

The unauthorized activity was detected through the department's auditing and oversight processes for the Flock Safety system, including the use of the Flock Safety Audit Assist program, which became available in April. The Flock Safety platform automatically logs every search, including the user, time, and stated reason for the search. SPD also employs mandatory training, role-based access controls, and supervisory oversight as safeguards.

Ongoing Criminal Investigation and Policy Changes

All six cases have been referred to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) for an independent criminal review, which is currently ongoing. Following the internal findings, SPD has implemented recurring weekly audits conducted by its Office of Professional Standards to ensure policy compliance and identify irregular activity. The names of the terminated employees are being withheld due to the ongoing GBI investigation and an employee appeals process.