Former Savannah officer fights to get job back after Flock misuse firing
By Tia Maggio
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SAVANNAH, Ga. (WJCL) — A former Savannah police officer is fighting to get his job back after being fired over alleged misuse of the city’s Flock license plate reader system.
Matthew Rich appeared before the Savannah Civil Service Board Monday, arguing the department did not follow its own policies when it decided to fire him.
Rich spent more than a decade with the Savannah Police Department.
He was fired last month along with five other SPD employees following an investigation into alleged personal use of Flock cameras.
Rich accused of six Flock searches Rich is accused of making six Flock searches involving his wife and a man Rich says was sexually harassing her.
During Monday’s hearing, Rich’s attorney did not dispute that the searches occurred.
Instead, the defense questioned whether termination was an appropriate punishment — and whether the decision was made properly.
“Was it wrong to do? We’re not questioning that. What we’re questioning is, was this a politically driven determination,” attorney Don Montgomery said.
The city argued the issue went beyond a single search and pointed to what it described as repeated activity.
“I cannot stress that enough. We are not here because he just did this one time… This is repeated activity,” said Savannah assistant attorney Denise Cooper.
Defense questions SPD’s disciplinary process A major issue during the hearing was how SPD determined Rich’s punishment.
Rich’s attorney pointed to the Douglas factors, which are used when determining whether employee discipline is appropriate and whether the punishment fits the misconduct.
Those factors can include an employee’s work history, the seriousness of the misconduct, whether the employee knew the rules and whether similar cases received similar discipline.
The defense argued SPD did not properly follow that process.
It was also confirmed in the hearing that SPD does not have an official Flock misuse disciplinary chart, which leaves room for interpretation in Rich’s case.
The attorney also questioned why a major was involved in determining Rich’s discipline, arguing department policy called for the decision to go through a different level of command.
“There’s no answer as to why the department ignored its own policies and sent this to a major instead of the lieutenant or the captain,” Montgomery stated.
SPD leaders disagreed, arguing the investigation and disciplinary recommendation were properly documented.
“I will disagree. That’s what the letter of transmittal was for,” Michelle Halford, SPD Major of Police said.
First SPD firings over Flock misuse The hearing also brought up previous instances of Flock misuse within the Savannah Police Department.
The defense pointed out that, despite previous cases involving misuse, this is the first time SPD has fired employees specifically over Flock misuse. An internal investigator within the department confirmed previous cases were handled internally and did not involved the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
The city argued each case must be evaluated individually and said the department has an obligation to address repeated misuse of its systems.
“We’ve got to ensure that we clean up our system,” Cooper said.
Rich’s attorney is asking the Civil Service Board to overturn his termination and allow him to return to the department.
The city is asking the board to uphold the firing.
The board did not issue a decision Monday. Savannah’s city manager will have the final say.
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