Savannah leaders weigh in on public safety communication following uptick in shootings

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Following an uptick in shootings in Savannah last week, city leaders are taking a closer look at how public safety communication is delivered to the community.

Communication became a central focus during two recent shootings on Largo Drive. One of those incidents occurred near Georgia Southern University’s Savannah campus, prompting the university to issue a shelter-in-place order.

Mayor Van Johnson emphasized that public safety communication is ultimately a city responsibility. While the police department releases information, Johnson noted that the details are often limited.

In the past, Mayor Johnson has been the primary figure communicating about police shootings. However, Alderman Kurtis Purtee has recently been posting timely updates on his own social media channels, stating that it is his job to keep his constituents informed.

“The reality is that the city of Savannah and the Savannah police department are the same entity,” Mayor Johnson said. “So when you talk about transparency, it’s not ‘Savannah police department’—if you heard it from the city of Savannah, you heard it from the Savannah police department.”

Alderman Purtee also addressed staffing issues within the Savannah Police Department, noting that elected officials should step up when problems affect their specific districts. Mayor Johnson confirmed that he and the city council are made aware of shootings and other notable violent crimes immediately when they occur.

For residents looking for breaking updates directly from the Savannah Police Department, the platform they use matters. SPD has over five times as many followers on Facebook as they do on X (formerly Twitter). However, the department primarily posts breaking updates to active crimes on X.

For community members who are only on Facebook or do not use X, WTOC provides consolidated updates gathered from SPD, the mayor, and other official local sources.