Four Savannah Police Employees Arrested After GBI Investigation Into Flock Camera Misuse
SAVANNAH, Ga. – Four current or former Savannah Police Department employees have been arrested following a GBI investigation into allegations that the department’s license plate reader system was accessed for purposes unrelated to law enforcement.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced the arrests Friday, Aug. 21, identifying the four as Marquis Dillard, 48, of Savannah; Donald Phillips, 23, of Fleming; Matthew Rich, 39, of Savannah; and Calandic Thomas, 34, of Pooler.
At the time of the alleged offenses, Dillard, Phillips and Rich were employed as Savannah police officers, while Thomas worked for the department as a Community Service Specialist, according to the GBI.
The investigation centers on alleged misuse of the Flock Safety license plate reader system, technology used by law enforcement agencies to identify and search for vehicles captured by automated license plate reader cameras.
Internal Audit Led to GBI Investigation
The Savannah Police Department requested the GBI investigation on July 29 after an internal audit of its Flock Safety System raised concerns about possible misuse.
According to preliminary information released by the GBI, investigators determined that Dillard, Phillips, Rich and Thomas allegedly accessed the system for non-law-enforcement purposes.
Authorities have not disclosed what searches were allegedly conducted, whose vehicles or license plates may have been searched, or why the four employees allegedly accessed the system.
The GBI also has not said whether the alleged searches were connected to one another.
Three Officers Face Violation of Oath Charges
Dillard, Phillips and Rich were each charged with:
- Two counts of Misuse of a License Plate Reader System
- One count of Violation of Oath of Office
Thomas was charged with two counts of Misuse of a License Plate Reader System. The GBI did not announce a violation of oath charge against Thomas.
All four were booked into the Chatham County Jail.
The GBI described the investigation as active and ongoing, leaving open the possibility of additional developments.
Anyone with information concerning the case is asked to contact the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Statesboro at 912-871-1121.
