News and Investigations

News & Investigations

News Releases and Public Information

Welcome to the Polk County Sheriff's Office News Room, where the Public Information Officers (PIO's) post all of the information that they release to the news media. PIO's act as liaisons between news media organizations and the Sheriff's Office. The PIO's routinely release timely and accurate information and Crime Stoppers bulletins, and respond to routine and "breaking news" media inquiries. News releases and Crime Stoppers information can be found on this page.

PCSO's full-time Public Information Officers are Brian Bruchey, Carrie Horstman, and Alicia Manautou. The Public Information Officers can be reached by sending an e-mail collectively at PIOs@polksheriff.org.

The recent news releases sent out by the PIOs can be found here, and archived releases (older than 2017) can be found here.

Mar 14, 2019

Operation Pop Top leads to one arrest in Winter Haven; eleven stores refused to sell alcohol to minors

Media Contact: Sherrie Morgan, PIO

On Wednesday, March 13, 2019, PCSO school resource deputies conducted “Operation Pop Top”— an ongoing effort to enforce laws related to the sale of alcohol to minors. Deputies send high school teenagers under 21 into stores to see if they can buy alcohol. The students are PCSO Explorers, which is a program designed for students who are interested in learning about law enforcement careers.

Deputies checked stores in the Winter Haven and Auburndale areas. During the operation, 39-year-old Sharee Futch of, Winter Haven, sold an alcoholic beverage to our 17-year-old Explorer while working at the 7-Eleven convenience store located at 1099 1st St. South in Winter Haven. Futch was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Polk County Jail. She’s charged with selling an alcoholic beverage to a person under 21.

The following stores were found to be in compliance:
1. Circle K: 1108 Spirit Lake Rd., Winter Haven
2. RaceTrac: 11023 US Hwy 17 S, Winter Haven
3. WaWa: 1490 3rd St SW, Winter Haven
4. Shell: 999 1st St. South, Winter Haven
5. RaceTrac: 810 Havendale Blvd NW, Winter Haven
6. Mobil: 1509 Havendale Blvd NW, Winter Haven
7. Chevron: 2049 Havendale Blvd NW, Winter Haven
8. Wawa: 334 Havendale Blvd, Winter Haven
9. Sunoco: 420 Magnolia Ave, Winter Haven
10. Circle K: 1000 US Hwy 92 W, Auburndale
11. RaceTrac: 2227 US Hwy 92 W, Auburndale

“We are going to hold store employees accountable for selling alcohol to those under 21 years old. It’s their responsibility to check ID’s at all times. The stores and employees found in compliance did a great job following the law. We congratulate them.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff