Georgia POST Council votes to strip former SPD officer of law enforcement certification
On March 20, the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST) Council voted to revoke the peace officer certification of former Savannah Police officer Darryl Repress, according to POST records obtained by the Savannah Morning News.
If Repress' certification is revoked, he will be prohibited from working in a sworn position, according to Jill Dalon, Georgia POST Records Custodian. Repress also can't seek any new certifications unless the certification committee votes to reinstate him after two years. He can petition for reinstatement.
The POST investigation was launched on Sept. 29, 2023, one day after Repress was fired by SPD. As previously reported by the Savannah Morning News, an SPD internal affairs investigation found that Repress had a relationship with a convicted felon, whom he also was using as a confidential informant. Those details were included in POST's investigation to the council, which includes 19 governor-appointed members.
In an email, Dalon said the POST Council voted to revoke Repress' certification, but it will not be a final action until 30 days after council, on April 19.
Chatham County District Attorney also investigating Repress
The Chatham County District Attorney's Office is still conducting its review into criminal cases that Repress investigated. SMN previously found that Repress was listed as the main witness on at least 40 indictments bound up to Chatham County Superior Court.
In an email asking where the District Attorney's Office was in the process of reviewing his cases and determining whether to prosecute Repress, Shalena Cook Jones wrote, “no comment.”
After being hired by SPD in 2013, Repress was transferred from the Central Precinct to the Regional Intelligence Center as a gang/group investigator in 2016. His disciplinary action record shows that Repress was the focus of nine total internal affairs investigations, including the two most recent, during his tenure with SPD.
SPD disciplined Repress at least six times for eight incidents, including two written reprimands, one counseling form, one written counseling, one discussion, and one 40-hour suspension. He was exonerated by police supervisors from one use-of-force incident.
Drew Favakeh is a public safety and courts reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at AFavakeh@savannahnow.com.