Polk County Sheriff's Office

November 2012

Dear Friend,

Yesterday, the citizens of Polk County voted to allow me to serve as Sheriff for another term.  Their votes were not simply votes for me, but were votes for each man and woman who work at the Polk County Sheriff's Office. 

Our members continue to seek new and innovative ways to provide professional and consistent delivery of quality customer service each and every day, and the community clearly communicated their overwhelming support of our efforts.

Words cannot convey how proud I am to have the privilege of serving as your Sheriff, and I am thankful for this opportunity.  

I am humbled by your vote of confidence and together, we will continue to work as a community to keep Polk County safe.

Well Done Good and Faithful Servant, PCSO Silvo

On Monday, October 23, 2012, the Polk County Sheriff's Office bid a final farewell to PCSO K-9 Silvo. Silvo was recently diagnosed with a serious blood disease and the prognosis was grave. Silvo passed away at PCSO Animal Control under the excellent and loving care of Animal Control members and in the company of his partner Deputy Sheriff Brett Hermelbracht.

Silvo joined PCSO in 2009 after he served with the former Mulberry Police Department. Silvo and Brett were the first ever to achieve the phase-3 designation as a top tactical canine through the North American Police Work Dog Association.

The PCSO K-9 Unit is comprised of a Sergeant and 22 canine teams.  Each patrol canine handler must complete 400 hours (10 weeks) of tracking and detector training (narcotics or explosives) prior to graduating to another 400 hour, Florida Department of Law Enforcement Basic Canine Team Training Course.  This course teaches the dog and handler all aspects of law enforcement canine including suspect apprehension, handler protection, tracking for suspects and missing persons, area searches for suspects,  canine agility, and intense obedience training.  The Canine Unit conducts all basic and in-service training utilizing experienced canine handlers as instructors.  These instructors are certified canine trainers by the FDLE, Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission.  The FDLE Basic Canine Team Training Course is sanctioned by the Kenneth C. Thompson Institute of Public Safety.

17 of the Canine Unit's dogs are trained in both patrol work and detection.  12 of the canines are cross trained to detect illegal narcotics and 4 of them are trained to detect explosives.  The explosive detection canine teams are routinely utilized to conduct security sweeps of public buildings and respond to bomb threats. 

All patrol dogs are assigned to patrol shifts each of the 5 patrol districts within Polk County.  The patrol dogs assigned to the Canine Unit provide 24 hour coverage to support members of the Polk County Sheriff's Office and other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies within and outside of Polk County.

 Deputy Hermelbracht and Silvo

Click here to read the news release about Silvo's career:

http://www.polksheriff.org/NewsRoom/News%20Releases/Pages/PCSOK-9TeamFirstInNationToCompleteNAPWDATraining.aspx

PCSO Detectives Solve Two Cold Case Homicides

"Our cold case homicide detectives are dedicated to solving every one of our unsolved homicides. Working with other agencies and witnesses who step forward, we will continue to seek justice for our victims and their families.  We know there are other criminals out there who think they've gotten away with it - but we also know there are people out there who can help us put them behind bars, too. We encourage anyone who has information about any crime, no matter how big or small, to come forward and help put criminals in jail where they belong. It's the right thing to do." - Sheriff Grady Judd

On October 26, 2012, 39-year-old Christopher "Shane" Knight (AKA Christopher Shane Watson), DOB 9/20/1973, of 4367 Sun Center Road, Mulberry was charged with the 1993 Cold Case Homicide of his mother, Jahala Watson, and her unborn baby.  To read the details of this arrest, please visit http://www.polksheriff.org/NewsRoom/News%20Releases/Pages/10-26-2012.aspx

On November 2, 2012, 35-year-old Timothy Elbert Carey (DOB 2/23/1977) of 430 Skyline Drive East, Lakeland was charged with the 1996 Cold Case Homicide of Tommy Eugene Smith.  To read the details of this arrest, please visit http://www.polksheriff.org/NewsRoom/News%20Releases/Pages/11-02-2012.aspx

Florida Sheriffs Task Force Operation Felon Sweep - Polk County Results

During a three-week statewide initiative, "Operation Felony Sweep," the Polk County Sheriff's Office made 806 Felony arrests.  Of those arrested, 539 were as a result of Felony Probable Cause arrests, 355 outstanding Felony warrants, 439 were accompanying Misdemeanor charges, and seven charges which were either local ordinance violations or federal offenses.  The initiative began September 28, 2012 and ran through October 22, 2012. 

"We like putting criminals jail," said Sheriff Grady Judd.  "What we don't like is learning a number of those we arrested continue to violate the law over and over.  Instead of working they are receiving federal assistance and committing crimes against people who are working and paying taxes." 

Four examples of the Polk County felons arrested and who have been receiving monthly Federal assistance are:

Michael Leonard, DOB, 11/29/1965, was arrested on 10/17/12 for Robbery.  Leonard has been in state prison five times, arrested 11 times.

Cornelius Canady, 07/29/1980, was arrested on 10/10/12 for Burglary, Grand Larceny, Vehicle Theft, Forgery, and Fraud.  Canady has been in state prison once, and has been arrested 14 times.

Sheriff Grady Judd, Vice President of the Florida Sheriffs Association was joined by FSA President, Highland's County Sheriff Susan Benton, Osceola County Sheriff Bob Hansell, Charlotte County, Sheriff Bill Cameron, Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis, Hardee County Sheriff Arnold Lanier, and Hillsborough County Sheriff's Colonel James Previtera during in a joint news conference as the FSA announced the state-wide results of the three-week long initiative. 

43 Florida counties participated with a total of 11,875 felons taken off the streets of Florida.  

To read the statewide results, please visit: https://www.flsheriffs.org/newsroom/entry/florida-sheriffs-task-force-nets-nearly-12000-felony-arrests-during-operati

Polk County Sheriff's Office Alerts Via Nixle

 "We will be notifying Polk County residents about breaking news and emergency situations in their area, when those emergencies are occurring," said Sheriff Judd.  "Public safety alerts will be sent straight to our resident's cell phones, and email addresses - and it's free, for us and for our community."

This service, created by Nixle, LLC, will  deliver reliable and important public safety and community event notifications by web, e-mail, and cell phone, will be sent and received free of charge.  (Cell phone users must currently have text capability in order to receive text messages-normal text charges apply depending on the customer's agreement with their cell phone company.)

PCSO members will log into Nixle, and select from alerts, announcements, or advisories, then those messages will be forwarded to those who subscribe to the service. 

Residents may visit the PCSO website, www.polksheriff.org, to register/subscribe.  Simply look for the Nixle link, and click to register.  Users may elect to receive messages via their cell phone, or email or both.

"Our residents depend on us to provide them with immediate information about breaking news events," said Sheriff Judd.  "Nixle allows us to provide the news they are seeking without waiting for a news agency to cover the story." 

Go to http://www.polksheriff.org/Pages/nixle.aspx to sign up!

Sharing the Road with Motorcycles

Deputy Taylor is a member of the agency's Traffic Unit and operates one of the agency's four Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

The incident happened around 10:40 a.m. on Friday, October 5, 2012, in the eastbound lanes of I-4, one mile east of the CR 557 exit and involved three-vehicles.

Deputy Taylor had just conducted a traffic stop for speeding on a white 2012 Chevy HHR, and both his motorcycle and the HHR were parked off the roadway onto the south shoulder of I-4.

Deputy Taylor was standing next to the parked HHR when a gold 2003 Chevy Malibu traveling eastbound on I-4 struck two other vehicles which were also traveling east on I-4; the Malibu struck a 2009 semi tractor-trailer and a green 2007 Ford F-150 pickup truck.

As a result of striking the other two vehicles, the driver of the Malibu lost control and struck 45-year-old Deputy Taylor and his agency-issued motorcycle causing Deputy Taylor to be thrown into the air and onto the grass along the side of the roadway.  Deputy Taylor's motorcycle slid into the HHR. 

Thankfully, Deputy Taylor's injuries were non-life-threatening.  The crash is still under investigation.

The dangers Motorcycle officers face are very real.  According the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial page, (http://www.nleomf.org/facts/officer-fatalities-data/causes.html) in 2010, six officers/deputies were killed in motorcycle crashes.  There were five killed in 2011.  To date, in 2012, five officers/deputies have lost their lives in motorcycle crashes.

But deputies aren't the only motorcycle riders at risk. 

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "In 2009, there were a total of 4,462 motorcycle fatalities in 2009,  2,006 were two-vehicle fatal crashes involving a motorcycle and another type of vehicle. In 40 percent (806) of these crashes the other vehicle was turning left while the motorcycle was going straight, passing, or overtaking another vehicle." 

So what defense is there against a crash?  The best defense is a good offense; simply put, be prepared for everything.  Ensure you have the proper protective equipment; a helmet that meets the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; reflective clothing, to include gloves, boots, long pants and a durable long-sleeved jacket; and don't forget eye and face protection.  

Educate yourself; learn how to manage the motorcycle.  It operates differently than any other vehicle you may have driven before.  And while the thrill of riding a motorcycle may be overwhelming, the risk of not understanding the power beneath the rider can be deadly.

Deputy Taylor was fortunate he escaped serious injury.  Will you?