Four former Savannah Police Department employees were arrested on Friday after an investigation into the alleged misuse of the Flock Safety license plate reader system.The former employees have been booked into the Chatham County Jail, local broadcaster WTOC reported. Out of them, three are former police officers, while the fourth worked as a community service specialist. All four had been fired from the Savannah Police Department earlier in August.It all started with internal investigation by the Savannah Police Department on July 27. Two days later, the department asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) to look into the case.The internal audit examined 39,000 Flock searches made so far this year. Of those, 127 searches were flagged for review. The police department determined that 34 of the searches were unjustified. Six employees were ultimately fired, although only four have been arrested so far.
Flock searches on family, acquaintances
The four arrested employees are 48-year-old Marquis Dillard, 23-year-old Donald Phillips, 39-year-old Matthew Rich and 34-year-old Calandic Thomas.Dillard, Phillips and Rich are former officers. Each faces two counts of misuse of a license plate reader system and two counts of violation of oath of office. Thomas, a former community service specialist, faces two counts of misuse of a license plate reader system.According to the City of Savannah, Dillard spent 10 years with the Savannah Police Department and most recently worked as a homicide detective before his termination. Phillips had worked for the department for two-and-a-half years. Rich served with the department for 13 years before he was fired. Thomas worked as a community service specialist for just under three years.The four former employees are accused of running Flock license plate searches on personal acquaintances and family members. One of the officers is also accused of giving an outside agency unauthorised access to the system.The GBI confirmed that the outside agency is also part of its investigation. However, it has not identified the agency.Flock license plate reader systems allow law enforcement agencies to search information collected by cameras. Savannah has 106 Flock cameras, and Georgia has the second-most Flock cameras of any state in the US.
‘Breach of public trust’
Savannah Mayor Van Johnson criticised the alleged misuse of the technology and the breach of public trust.“We entrusted these individuals with advanced technology, and even more importantly, with the public’s trust,” Johnson said. “Nobody is above the law, and everyone trusted with public confidence is accountable,” he added, as quoted by WTOC.Police Chief Lenny Gunther also said department employees must follow the law and maintain professional standards.“The actions of a few do not reflect the dedication and professionalism of the men and women who honorably serve our community every day,” Gunther said.Gunther said he is working to introduce a formal policy governing the use of Flock cameras. The department also plans to conduct weekly inspections using its audit-assist tool to identify possible misuse earlier.
Flock technology faces scrutiny
The Savannah case has added to wider concerns about how automated license plate reader systems are used and monitored.Police departments say the technology can help investigators locate missing people, recover stolen vehicles and investigate serious crimes. However, the systems have also raised questions about privacy, data access and how information collected by the cameras is shared.CBS News reported that the Savannah arrests are part of a growing list of alleged misuse cases involving automated license plate readers in Georgia. In July, five former Albany police officers were arrested after an internal audit found they had accessed retained Flock license plate data for non-law-enforcement purposes.Georgia already has rules governing license plate data held by law enforcement agencies. Under state law, such data can be accessed only for a law enforcement purpose. Agencies can share the information with other law enforcement agencies for those purposes.The law also requires agencies using automated license plate recognition systems to maintain policies governing their use and officer training. Knowingly obtaining or using the data under false pretences or for another purpose can result in a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature.Flock Safety has also announced changes to its safeguards. CEO Garrett Langley said the company is moving towards a seven-day default retention period for license plate reader data, down from 30 days. Evidence connected to active investigations can still be preserved.The company also says law enforcement customers will be required to use its Audit Assistance system, which is designed to flag unusual search activity. Other changes include requiring case codes for searches and automatically suspending access in some situations until suspicious activity can be reviewed. “We’re setting a higher bar for ourselves and the industry,” Langley said.
