Savannah Mayor says past Flock misuse would be handled differently now

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Additional cases of Flock camera misuse within the Savannah Police Department surfaced at a civil board hearing Monday, during appeals from officers terminated after an August Georgia Bureau of Investigation probe.

Six SPD employees lost their jobs following that investigation.

Mayor says he only knew of six cases

Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said he only knew about the six cases announced in August, not the earlier ones discussed at Monday’s hearing.

One of the earlier cases involved an officer fired after illegal Flock searches led to an aggravated stalking investigation.

The defense attorney for some of the former officers claimed other Flock misusers were not fired.

Mayor says handling would be different today

Johnson said it was the political climate around Flock has shifted quickly. It’s one of the nation’s hottest topics around law enforcement. He said if the earlier cases happened today, they would have been handled differently.

“I think as you know better, you do better. I think I’m very, very clear that should these things happen, I made it clear to the city manager and police chief — those are things the public has a right to know, deserves to know, and we will make sure that they do know,” Johnson said.

Department addresses policy and training

An SPD spokesperson said the department could not discuss why the six cases were investigated at the state level because they remain open.

The department said existing policy includes measures for Flock use, and the officers involved used the systems daily, some for multiple years. Johnson said he knew during his time as a police officer that it was clear officers should not misuse the information they access.

SPD said a Flock-specific enhancement to its policy is being developed to further clarify usage. It will roll out alongside a new department Transparency Portal.

Here’s the full statement on SPD’s training:

The Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) requires all personnel to complete the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Security Policy Awareness prior to their access to criminal justice information (CJI) because all personnel must be made aware of their individual responsibilities and expected behavior when accessing CJI and the systems which process CJI. In addition, personnel with access to query NCIC/GCIC information are required to complete the CJIS Network Operator certification prior to their access. Officers and Community Service Specialists complete this training during patrol school.

The department’s CJIS policies were combined into the Information Management policy in October 2025. Attached is a copy of the Information Management policy, as well as a copy of the Awareness Statement that is electronically signed at the completion of the CJIS Security Policy Awareness training. (Please see attached documents)

SPD also has multiple safeguards in place to ensure technology is used appropriately.

Our existing safeguards include:

• Individual user authentication and role-based access.

• Complete audit logs documenting every search.

• Supervisory review and oversight.

• Mandatory user training.

• Administrative investigation of suspected misuse.

• Appropriate disciplinary action for violations of department policy.