Savannah ex-officer dismissed for giving ICE agent husband access to police database
Former Savannah police officer Amber Harpe was terminated after an internal probe found she shared her Flock system login with her husband, ICE agent Tyler Harpe.
The Savannah Police Department's internal investigation determined that former officer Amber Harpe gave her husband, ICE agent Tyler Harpe, her personal login for the Flock license-plate search system. Using that access, Tyler Harpe performed 983 searches covering 97 plates, the majority of which were registered to Hispanic motorists. Department officials said the act breached established security protocols, prompting Amber Harpe's termination in August and the dismissal of five additional staff members.
Four of those employees faced arrest, though Amber Harpe was not among those charged. Interim Major Max Nowinsky had initially suggested an eight-hour suspension, but Major Michelle Halford and Assistant Police Chief Robert Gavin overruled that recommendation and ordered her removal. The Harpes maintain the searches were conducted for legitimate law-enforcement purposes and not for personal gain.
Why it matters
It highlights concerns over misuse of police data and potential bias in law-enforcement information sharing.
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