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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.
Oct 30, 2024
OPERATION POP TOP: One sales clerk in Davenport arrested for selling alcohol to a person under 21
Media Contact: Meghan Petty, PIO
The Polk County Sheriff’s office operates an ongoing Operation Pop Top campaign in which deputies visit various stores to see if store personnel would sell to an alcoholic beverage to someone under 21 years of age (Florida's minimum age for legal alcohol consumption).
The person attempting to purchase alcohol was an 18-year old member of the PCSO's Cadet Program. Over the past week, a total of seven stores were checked for alcohol sales; the clerk at one store (7-Eleven, 49599 US-27 N in Davenport) sold alcohol to the 18-year-old cadet. The other six stores checked were found to be in compliance with state law. The 7-Eleven sales clerk, Rebecca Maree, was subsequently arrested for selling an alcoholic beverage to a person under 21 (a second degree misdemeanor).
"Providing alcohol to minors isn’t only illegal; it can have serious, life-altering consequences. When underage individuals gain access to alcohol, it can result in poor choices, accidents, or even worse outcomes. We each have a responsibility to protect our community, especially our young people, when it comes to stores giving minors access to alcohol. The risks just aren’t worth it." – Grady Judd, Sheriff