‘The people in power need to be held accountable’: Community reacts to Savannah Flock camera arrests

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - People in the community say they aren’t surprised to learn the Flock Safety camera system had been misused, but say it was reassuring to see consequences.

Three Savannah police officers and one civilian employee were arrested Friday by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for misuse of Flock.

• Marquis Dillard, 48, of Savannah, was charged with two counts of misuse of a license plate reader system and one count of violation of oath of office.
• Donald Phillips, 23, of Fleming, was charged with two counts of misuse of a license plate reader system and one count of violation of oath of office.
• Matthew Rich, 39, of Savannah, was charged with two counts of misuse of a license plate reader system and one count of violation of oath of office.
• Calandic Thomas, 34, of Pooler, was charged with two counts of misuse of a license plate reader system.

Phillips, Dillard, Rich and Thomas are four of six SPD employees fired earlier this month after an internal audit showed them using the cameras to track friends and family.

Community reaction

“The people in power need to be held accountable for what they are using the power for,” Daniel Kaszubowski, a Hinesville resident said.

Kaszubowski said if there aren’t proper regulations in place and transparent protocols, the Flock cameras should be taken down.

“We have law enforcement for a reason, they don’t necessarily need those cameras although they could help and they do help they could also be a detriment to the community and be misused in that way,” Kaszubowski said.

Kiriho Ndakize, another Hinesville resident, said the problem is not with the technology itself.

“I don’t think the problem lies within the Flock camera itself, it lies within the personnel that are authorized to store that information,” Ndakize said. “In order to prevent that we just need to pick better people to put in those positions.”

Officials respond

Savannah Police Chief Lenny Gunther responded to the arrests Friday.

“I expect all members of the Savannah Police Department, whether sworn or civilian, to act with integrity, professionalism, and respect for the law. We understand that community trust must be earned and kept. There is no excuse for breaking that trust. The actions of a few do not reflect the dedication and professionalism of the men and women who honorably serve our community every day. We remain committed to delivering high-quality service, and the Savannah Police Department will continue striving to earn trust through transparency, accountability, responsibility, and professional conduct.”

Chief Lenny Gunther

Mayor Van Johnson also released a statement.

“This is a sad and sobering day for our city, as well as a challenging one for these former officers, their families, their colleagues, and the entire Savannah Police Department. Accountability should not depend on your identity, uniform, or position. We entrusted these individuals with advanced technology—and even more importantly—with the public’s trust. Our promise remains strong: nobody is above the law, and everyone trusted with public confidence is accountable.”

Mayor Van Johnson

Next steps

SPD will conduct weekly audits of employees’ Flock searches following the arrests. In July, Mayor Van Johnson said the process of launching a Flock transparency portal was underway.