Savannah police place six employees on leave over alleged Flock license-plate-reader misuse
Savannah Police placed six employees on administrative leave after an internal audit identified potentially improper searches of the department’s Flock Safety license-plate-reader system.
The cases involve four officers and two civilian employees. Savannah Police said the cases were referred to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for an independent criminal investigation.
What SPD says the audit flagged
According to SPD and reporting by WTOC, the alleged searches were unrelated to law enforcement and included searches involving personal acquaintances and family members.
SPD also alleged that one officer provided access to the department’s Flock system to someone from an outside law-enforcement agency.
The department said it launched its internal investigation on Monday, July 27, 2026, after its auditing and oversight processes identified activity that raised concerns. The investigation was publicly reported July 31.
The allegations are not final findings. The GBI investigation remains ongoing, and the available reports do not identify any criminal charges or final disciplinary decisions.
Employees found to have misused the system could face discipline up to termination and possible criminal prosecution, according to SPD.
Why the system matters to Savannah
The investigation involves a surveillance system that Savannah City Council authorized for expansion in December 2025.
The council approved a Flock Safety contract of up to $193,500 using SCAD Serves grant funds. The authorization covered 40 additional license-plate readers and 10 pan-tilt-zoom cameras.
The city’s agenda item said Savannah had 74 contracted Flock cameras at the time and that the planned additions would bring the citywide total to 124 cameras. The record describes the system as supporting patrol and criminal investigations; it does not by itself establish that every planned camera had been installed or was operational.
City Council action minutes show the Flock contract item was approved unanimously as part of purchasing items 21 through 32 on Dec. 11, 2025.
Because the system is city-funded and intended for public-safety investigations, the alleged searches make access controls and audit procedures a direct public-accountability issue.
SPD says weekly audits have started
SPD said every search in the Flock platform is electronically documented, including the user, date, time and stated reason for the search.
The department also said its Office of Professional Standards has begun recurring weekly audits of Flock activity to check compliance with department policy and flag irregular searches.
The next major steps are the GBI’s independent investigation and any later SPD decisions about discipline. Until those processes are complete, the reported searches remain allegations rather than proven criminal conduct or final policy findings.
Sources
- WTOC report on the Savannah Police investigation
- Savannah City Council Flock Safety contract agenda item
- Savannah City Council December 11, 2025 action minutes
Look for updates to this story
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