Savannah mayor addresses gangs, domestic violence, parking, and more at weekly press conference

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said he was unable to verify gangs identified by the Chatham County sheriff and urged caution in labeling any group a gang, during his weekly press conference.

Johnson was asked about the sheriff calling out 18 gangs in the county.

“We know people really want us to say ‘oh my gosh we’re being overrun’ no I mean the fact is we have a bomb unit too, if we have bombs. We have a gang units if there is evidence that leads to that, then of course we have a gang unit who are individuals who are not only monitoring gangs, but also monitoring gang members,” Johnson said.

Savannah Police has not called individuals involved in a downtown shooting late last month gang members, nor confirmed the incident was gang activity. Johnson said the choice to be conservative in labeling comes from the court’s definition, where charges are given or dropped.

“For me and for the city of Savannah, the most important thing is making the case and so it’s more important to me that our police officers are able to make a case that is able to be successful in court than to play out in the media about what we think or what we believe,” Johnson said.

Asked what the city is doing to address the behavior, Johnson pointed to Savannah’s gang unit, the Front Porch, and the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement. He said all three work with people in the neighborhoods.

Johnson continues to call Savannah a safe city. Overall violent crime is down from last year, though the mayor said domestic cases have risen.

Mayor says city does not control rise in domestic assaults

Amid a rise in domestic assaults in Savannah, Johnson said the city does not control that number.

The mayor said the incidents are not a policing issue and said people in abusive relationships need to leave those situations to find help.

According to the Savannah Police Department’s crime statistics, domestic aggravated assaults not involving a gun rose 15% over the last two years, from 193 in 2024 to 223 in 2026. Domestic assaults involving a gun fell from 34 to 31, a decrease of three.

“We don’t control that. Police officers on corners don’t control that, this is with individuals that live in the same proximity as each other,” Johnson said.

The Savannah Police Department responded to seven total domestic assaults last week, according to its crime sheet, including a domestic homicide Saturday in which 49-year-old Charles Miller was arrested and charged with murder. Violent crime overall is down from two years ago and has dropped 9% from 2025.

Council to vote this week on new paid parking zone in Midtown

Savannah City Council is expected to vote this week on overhauling a portion of the city’s parking matters ordinance, a change Johnson believes will creates urgency for drivers coming into the city by adding a new zone of paid parking meters.

If the council vote passes Thursday, new meters will stretch from Gaston Street to Victory Drive and from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to Broad Street. Drivers who currently park in the area do not have to pay.

The new rate would be $1.50 an hour, for a maximum of two hours, on time-controlled spaces.

“We have people who live downtown, we have business owners and business employees who want to be in close proximity to where they work, but we also have people who visit us, and people don’t like meters but the reality is meters make people move. If you don’t have meters, people will park and they will be there for a week,” Johnson said.

Johnson said the city will continue not charging people going to church, and the meters will not charge people who park overnight.

The mayor said the move is part of a larger plan to make the city more walkable, bikeable and drivable.

Daffin Park playground ribbon cutting delayed

Johnson said the ribbon cutting for Daffin Park’s playground has been delayed and is awaiting final touches.

The delay is tied to the drainage system and site restoration work that still needs to be completed. Johnson said he has received a lot of mail from parents asking about the opening date since announcing the setback.

“While we understand the public’s interest and feedback about the opening date, we have to make sure that it’s right, and before we let the contractors loose we have to make sure that everything is addressed and the city residents are getting the bang for their buck,” Johnson said.

Johnson did not give a specific opening date but said repairs are “near complete.” The final field inspection is scheduled for Thursday.