Please look below to find the archived Savannah crime map and statistics for 2021. If you’re searching for current information, you can find that at this link: Savannah Crime Map
I always feel the need to point out that Savannah’s crime isn’t centered in one specific location, but is instead spread out like polka dots throughout the city.
Safety in Savannah varies on a block-by-block basis, so please use the map to research the location of your hotel or home rental.
Additional maps have been archived here:
đź“Ť2022 Savannah Crime Map
đź“Ť2020 Savannah Crime Map
Table of Contents
Savannah Crime Map 2021
Please remember this map only tracks homicides, suspicious deaths, officer-involved shootings, and gunshot incidents WITH injuries. Incidents without injuries are not included.
Click on any icon to pull up additional information and links to news reports about each incident. Use the + or – signs in the bottom left-hand corner to zoom in and out on the map.
Homicides in Savannah in 2021
Rest in peace to the following individuals who lost their lives in Savannah in 2021.
- Corey Vance, 26: Shooting | North Side (Historic District/City Market) | 01.01.21
- Reginald Black, 51: Stabbing | East Side | 01.08.21
- Ky Harmon, 26: Shooting | West Side | 01.17.21
- Freddie Wallace (aka: Fredo Cash), 24: Shooting | Southside | 02.13.21
- Marcos Miranda, Jr., 22: Shooting | West Side | 02.17.21
- Sheldon Lovett, 51: Shooting | Southside | 03.02.21
- Joseph Wilder, 30: Shooting | Southside | 03.11.21
- Tamia Green, 21: Shooting | West Side | 03.22.21
- Leron Pace, 29: Shooting | Southside | 03.22.21
- Charles Vinson (aka: Slum Tutt), 23: CoD: Not Released | West Side | 05.02.21
- Latoya Latrice Jones, 22: Shooting | West Side | 05.02.21
- Travis Edwards, 20: Shooting | Southside | 05.13.21
- Maurice Griffin, 30: Shooting | North Side (Historic District) | 06.11.21
- Arthur Milton, 20: Shooting | East Side (Hitch Village) | 06.11.21
- Terryl Coleman, 26: Shooting | East Side (Hitch Village) | 06.11.21
- Sherri Perkins, 53: CoD: Not Released | West Side | June 2021
- Regner Arce, 56: CoD: Not Released | East Side | June 2021
- Arthur Boston, 31: Shooting | East Side (Hitch Village) | 07.02.21
- Calvin Clifford Owens, 51: CoD: Not Released | West Side | 08.08.21
- Frankie Lee Fernandez, Jr., 28: CoD: Shooting | South Side | 09.12.21
- Qahmaine Orr, 14: Shooting | West Side | 09.13.21
- Alphonso Dickerson, 17: Shooting | East Side | 09.24.21
- Edward James D. Futch, 45: Shooting | Southside | 10.08.21
- Rajah Young, 27: Shooting | Southside | 10.12.21
- Desmond Warren, 33: Shooting | North Side (Forsyth Park) | 10.20.21
- Terrance Palmer, 23: Shooting | Southside | 10.31.21
- Markese De’Shawn Singleton, 29: Shooting | West Side | 11.23.21
- Ol’Liek Dashawn Bonaparte, 23: Shooting | North Side | 12.03.21
- Errol Gordon, 32: Shooting | East Side | 12.26.21
Officer-Involved Shootings in Savannah in 2021
- Vincent Gadson, 71: Officer-Involved Shooting (CCPD) – nonfatal | Chatham County | 05.13.21
- Jacob Anthony Palmer, 29: Officer-Involved Shooting – nonfatal | East Side | 07.17.21
- Maurice Mincey, 36: Officer-Involved Shooting – fatal | East Side | 07.17.21
- Shawn Martin, 45: Officer-Involved Shooting – fatal | West Side | 12.21.21
- Kevin Dubois, 31: Officer-Involved Shooting – fatal | West Side | 12.27.21
Police In-Custody Deaths in Savannah in 2021
- William Zachery Harvey, 60: Hanging | SPD Headquarters | 04.02.21
Homicides in Georgetown in 2021
Because SPD officers responded to the following incidents, which occurred in Chatham County, they were originally listed as Savannah homicides.
- Jerel Arkeem Richards, 28: Shooting | Southside (Georgetown) | 02.05.21
- Francisco Garcia, 55: Shooting | Southside (Georgetown) | 06.10.21
Savannah Crime Statistics Summary for 2021
Overall, homicides increased in Savannah for 2021.
Here are the end-of-year crime statistics for 2021:
- Homicides: 34
- Non-Domestic Aggravated Assaults w/Guns: 261
- Domestic Aggravated Assaults w/Guns: 33
- Non-Domestic Aggravated Assaults w/o Guns: 216
- Domestic Aggravated Assaults w/o Guns: 270
- Thefts from Vehicles: 1272
- Auto Theft: 461
2021 Headlines: Crime in Savannah
- Two homicides and multiple shootings occurred in or adjacent to City Market in 2021. City Market is a popular area amongst tourists.
- One person was injured during a July 4th celebration on River Street, which is also a popular area amongst tourists. There were six shootings total in the city over the holiday weekend. [source]
- On June 11, 2021, a shooting occurred on the east side that was classified as a mass shooting. At least eight individuals were injured, including a toddler, and two of the gunshot victims died from their injuries. The shooter remains at large. [source]
- It’s rare to see a homicide in Forsyth Park, but one occurred this year on October 20, 2021. The incident took place during the early evening hours as an unrelated fundraising event was being held in the park. Even though there were witnesses at the scene and multiple SPD cameras in the vicinity, the suspects managed to escape. The two suspects later turned themselves in at the police precinct. [source]
- On Sunday night, December 5, 2021, two tourists were hit by a speeding car at the intersection of Bull and Liberty streets. One of the pedestrians was killed and the second was seriously injured. A soldier at Fort Stewart was arrested for the hit and run. [source]
- As of December 7, 2021, Chief Minter of the Savannah Police Department noted 169 guns had been reported stolen out of vehicles in 2021. Of those, 130 of the vehicles were unlocked at the time. [source]
- In January of 2022, Chief Minter announced that 51 children ranging from 1 to 18 years of age were either struck or killed by a bullet in 2021. [source]
2021 Headlines: Questionable Police Behavior
Here are a few of the incidents that made headlines in 2021 for lack of transparency from the authorities…
William Harvey In-Custody Incident
On April 02, 2021, William Harvey was left alone inside an interrogation room for eight minutes at SPD Headquarters. When officers returned, they found he had hanged himself using a shoestring anchored to a whiteboard.
An officer at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) later told Harvey’s family members that Harvey hadn’t wanted to disappoint his mother or his patrol officer and had decided to commit suicide.
SPD stated that no cameras were activated in the interrogation room, and GBI has not provided an explanation as to why officers left Mr. Harvey alone in the room if they knew he intended to commit suicide.
Five officers were fired for a group text in which they shared a meme involving a noose, but at least two of those officers have since been reinstated with SPD.
In 2023, the Harvey family filed a lawsuit against the City of Savannah.[source] [source] [source] [source] [source]
Stephen Milton Pedestrian Death
In mid-June of 2022, the Georgia State Patrol (GSP) was in pursuit of a suspect inside Savannah’s city limits. The chase ensued at a high rate of speed through the intersection of 38th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
A 57-year-old pedestrian named Stephen Milton was struck and killed during the chase.
Multiple witnesses at the scene claimed GSP hit the pedestrian, who died instantly, while GSP claimed the suspect hit the pedestrian. GSP did not release dash cam footage from the incident, nor did SPD release footage from multiple cameras in the area.
The driver was arrested at a later date and charged with murder. During the trial, footage from the incident was shown to jurors and the family, and the suspect was found guilty of felony murder. The family of Stephen Milton was satisfied with the verdict. [source] [source]
Maurice Mincey Officer-Involved Shooting
During a year when the Ahmaud Arbery case was making headlines in the state of Georgia, Savannah also made national news for a questionable officer-involved shooting.
On July 17, 2021, SPD officers pulled a vehicle over during a routine traffic stop and an officer shot one of the passengers, claiming he abruptly exited the vehicle while pointing a gun at officers.
Upon review of body cam footage, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) agreed with officer statements.
Amidst an outcry from witnesses at the scene who claimed the victim had not pointed a gun at officers, the GBI amended their statement four days later.
Their amended statement said the victim, Maurice Mincey, did not point a gun at officers. [source]
The Maurice Mincey body cam footage was released a year later. It confirms that Mincey did not point a weapon at officers.
To learn more about shooting statistics in the United States, visit the Gun Violence Archive or The Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence.
Related Reading: 10 Tips for Staying Safe in Savannah
Visiting Savannah Georgia
If you’re planning to a trip to Savannah, here are a few additional resources I’ve created to help you out.
- Free Resources Library – When you sign up for my email list, you’ll get a checklist of “50 Things To Do On Foot in the Historic District (No Car Necessary)” and other helpful printables.
- Savannah First-Timer’s Guide – My ebook combines my most helpful Savannah travel tips from this website into one handy downloadable guide.
When you purchase my ebook, you’ll also gain access to a private Facebook group where you can ask questions about your trip and get advice from others who have recently visited.
Erin authored the Savannah First-Timer's Guide and loves helping first-time visitors plan their trips. She lives in the artsy Starland District and enjoys exploring Savannah's hidden gems, as well as the surrounding Lowcountry.
I will say, as first time visitors to Savannah, we are disappointed-with many things we’ve witnessed-but especially with the LACK of police presence at all during our 4 day stay in Historic Savannah.
During our time here, we observed no less than 6 drug sales-on the corner, in the park, in a restaurant, right on Broughton Street, where all tourist visit.
Why should one feel unsafe walking around town at night?. Even B&Bs have to suggest taking a taxi or Uber at night because of public safety.
Should we talk about the public drunkenness after 10pm thats rampant from Thursday-Sunday?
How parents allow their children to go to SCAD is beyond common sense. You have a school with a great reputation in a unsafe town. Has to be a parents worse nightmare.
The homeless situation in Savannah is awful.
We all know it exists in every part of our country but to allow the public panhandling everywhere, public urination in all the parks, the highjacking of park benches as permanent beds or housing (shall I go on…???)-it is a disgrace…on EVERY corner.
Why do people come to Savannah? , they must live in a box (or are clueless)…or extremely hopeful because all I see is despair.
Is there a soup kitchen? Is there a homeless mission?
Why isnt there police presence in the most tourist filled areas? A police officer on horseback would be a great added experience that would allow visitors to feel safe.
Savannah needs to get “it” together. I don’t think we will ever return.
I completely understand your reluctance to return. The majority of your points are valid and are ones I’ve been making for years. In fact, one of the reasons I openly discuss homelessness and crime statistics on this site is so visitors can make an informed decision and not just book expensive vacations based on the overly rosy “tourism” point of view.
– You’re correct; the police presence in Savannah is scarce, and SPD has been understaffed for quite some time.
– Drugs are an issue in Savannah (although I will point out that sometimes the tourists are the ones buying).
– The Historic District is an open-container zone, so that helps encourage public drunkenness.
– SCAD’s reputation? While you think it’s great; others might disagree with you.
– The homeless situation is frustrating, and I completely understand why many in that community feel a sense of despair; it’s no easy task to find shelter during times of need.
– As for soup kitchens, Emmaus House runs an excellent one. In fact, if you would like to contribute, donations are always welcomed. Here is the link to do so: https://unitedministriessavannah.org/
– There are numerous missions in Savannah, including Old Savannah Mission, The Salvation Army, Inner City Night Shelter, and Union Mission.
Tourism, in part, is helping to fuel the housing issues in Savannah, so by staying away until the city puts an effective plan of action in place to better assist the homeless and fully staff the police department, I think you’re making a wise decision by not visiting.