Savannah police chief urges calm as unsettling Snapchat circulates
In the wake of two shootings in Savannah in the span of less than a week, the Savannah Police Department is looking into an unsettling Snapchat message.
“SPD is aware of a text message circulating the area regarding the hospital being put on alert and an active threat being made to ‘shoot up Savannah,’” the department said in a Facebook post.
Chief of Police Michael Pitts told The Courier that “we’ve got to treat it as serious, but as far as we know it’s just a Snapchat that’s floating around.”
Noting that the two shootings, one of which was fatal, have raised tensions in the community, Pitts is urging residents to be aware of their surroundings, but remain calm.
The department said in the social media post that contrary to rumors, local businesses have not been advised to step up security, extra police officers have not been called in, and Hardin Medical Center has not been asked to call in extra doctors.
Pitts said he appreciates the residents who have contacted police about the message, and noted tips can be delivered around the clock by calling 731-925-4989.
We are always appreciative of community awareness and involvement. Caller information frequently assists us in providing law enforcement with key descriptors – regardless of the type of incident (big or small) the caller may have witnessed. We (at E-911) process your information and pass it along to the appropriate agency.
The web link listed above is for our Countywide Mass Notification System we deployed a year ago, for Weather and Public Safety Alerts, along with 2-Way Anonymous Tipping features. One may register by texting their Zip Code (within Hardin County) to the number 888777, or register on the web through the link listed above.
The web site listed below has a great informative video, which is helpful in the hometown or when traveling. The Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) Iniative is a national program to encourage the public to use the “If you see something – say something” method of reporting suspicious activity.
Our Non-Emergency Contact Number is 731-925-4989
SARS Video link: https://nsi.ncirc.gov/training_publicawarenessvideo.aspx