SHIELDS OF SHAME | GEORGIA FLOCK MISUSE DATABASE | CASE 037
Matthew James Rich: Savannah Corporal Arrested in Flock Misuse Investigation — and the Appeals That Followed
Thirteen years with Savannah Police, a felony oath charge, two license plate reader counts, and a separate administrative appeal over his firing.
August 21: GBI announces arrest and three charges
On August 21, 2026, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced the arrest of former Savannah Police Corporal Matthew Rich, 39, of Savannah, on two counts of Misuse of a License Plate Reader System and one count of Violation of Oath of Office. Rich was booked into the Chatham County Jail with former officers Marquis Dillard and Donald Phillips and former Community Service Specialist Calandic Thomas. The GBI said the Savannah Police Department requested its investigation on July 29 after an internal Flock Safety audit revealed alleged non-law-enforcement searches.
The GBI’s release does not identify the specific plates Rich allegedly searched, the number of searches, the dates, or the purported personal motivation. Two criminal counts do not necessarily mean exactly two database queries. Those questions require original audit logs and charging documents. All criminal charges remain allegations unless proved in court.
Thirteen years of service and 1,202 training hours
The Georgia POST record supplied to Shields of Shame lists Rich’s Savannah Police employment beginning in December 2012 and his promotion to corporal in July 2022. The record documents 1,202 hours of training, and its historical certification entries list Basic Law Enforcement, RADAR and LIDAR credentials as active. These entries demonstrate training and credentials; they do not independently establish Rich’s knowledge of a specific Flock search rule.
The August 27, 2026 POST snapshot supplied by Shields of Shame still showed In Good Standing and Actively Employed in Law Enforcement, with no sanctions or investigations listed, despite the department’s earlier employment action and the GBI’s August 21 arrest announcement. That discrepancy is a snapshot timing and reporting issue requiring investigation, not proof that the department rehired him or that POST later cleared the case. Employment termination and POST certification action are separate administrative processes.
Read the original Georgia POST certification and training PDF ↗
September 15: Rich appeals his firing
Rich and former officer Donald Phillips challenged their terminations at a Savannah Civil Service Board hearing September 15, 2026. WTOC and WSAV reported that both appeared as appellants and that the proceedings involved testimony and evidence from former employees and city representatives. An administrative appeal challenges the employment decision; it is separate from the criminal prosecution. The reporting reviewed here does not establish a final Board ruling on Rich’s appeal.
September 17: Rich waives preliminary hearing
WTOC reported that Rich, Dillard and Phillips appeared in Recorder’s Court on September 17, were out on bond, and waived their preliminary hearings, moving the felony matters toward Superior Court and possible grand-jury review. Waiving a preliminary hearing is not an admission of guilt or a conviction. No later indictment or final disposition was verified in this research.
September 21 testimony: previous Flock misuse handled internally
At a separate employee appeal hearing September 21, WTOC reported testimony from an SPD internal investigator that earlier Flock misuse had been handled within the department without referring those cases to the GBI. A department training official also testified that SPD had no formal Flock-specific training program because the system was a vendor product. These statements were made in an administrative proceeding and do not establish Rich’s guilt. They do raise questions about how the department supervised access to sensitive surveillance data before the 2026 audit.
Four arrests, six terminations, and a possible outside-agency access issue
WTOC reported that Savannah Police fired six employees in the broader review, while the GBI’s August 21 announcement named four people arrested. The two totals should not be conflated. WTOC also reported that one officer was accused of giving an outside agency unauthorized Flock access and that the GBI was examining that agency. The public account did not identify the outside agency or establish which employee was involved; no such conduct is attributed to Rich here.
Chronology
- December 2012: Rich begins Savannah Police employment, per historical POST record.
- July 2022: Promoted to corporal.
- July 29, 2026: Savannah Police asks GBI to investigate after its Flock audit.
- August 2026: Six employees are reportedly fired in the broader review.
- August 21: GBI announces Rich’s arrest and three charges.
- August 27: Historical POST snapshot still displays active employment and good standing.
- September 15: Rich appeals termination to the Civil Service Board.
- September 17: Rich waives preliminary hearing; court case proceeds toward Superior Court.
- September 21: Separate appeal testimony describes earlier Flock misuse and training gaps.
Original records and image gallery
Primary sources and related cases
GBI official arrest announcement ↗
Savannah Police official response ↗
WTOC — September 15 Civil Service Board appeals ↗
WTOC — September 17 criminal court update ↗
WTOC — prior misuse and training testimony ↗
WTOC — four arrests, six firings, outside-agency inquiry ↗
Related SOS case: Marquis Dillard ↗
Related SOS case: Donald Phillips ↗
Open records: questions the audit should answer
- Complete native Flock query audit for Rich: user IDs, plates, timestamps, search reasons, case numbers, result views and exports
- Original audit findings and employee-specific disciplinary report
- Flock access permissions, supervisory review, training records and signed policy acknowledgments
- Arrest warrants, charging affidavits, Recorder’s Court documents, Superior Court docket and any later disposition
- September 15 Civil Service Board hearing recording, exhibits, transcript and final written decision
- Earlier internal Flock misuse investigations identified in September 21 testimony
- Current Georgia POST certification, investigation, sanction and separation status
Frequently asked questions
Was Rich arrested?
Yes. The GBI announced his arrest August 21, 2026, on two license plate reader misuse counts and one oath count.
Why did his POST report still say he was employed?
The August 27 historical snapshot did not yet reflect the reported separation. The cause of the discrepancy is not established; an updated official record is needed.
Did Rich challenge his firing?
Yes. He appeared in a Civil Service Board appeal hearing September 15. A final appeal outcome was not verified here.
Did he plead guilty?
Waiving a preliminary hearing is not a guilty plea. No final criminal disposition was verified.
Updated October 12, 2026. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Historical certification data is not a substitute for current POST records.