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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 Carrie Horstman, Brian Bruchey, and Julianna Rivera. 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.
Jul 18, 2025
Crime is down 24.6% in the first six months of 2025 in PCSO's jurisdiction
Media Contact: Carrie Horstman, Media Relations Administrator
Crime in the Polk County Sheriff's Office primary law enforcement response area is down 24.6% for the first six months of the year according to Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data, as reported semi-annually to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).
There were 578 fewer crimes from January - June 2025 than the same time frame in 2024 in the Polk County Sheriff's Office's primary jurisdiction.
The Sheriff's Office's jurisdiction includes all of unincorporated Polk County; cities contracted with the PCSO including Polk City, Frostproof, Eagle Lake, Fort Meade, Dundee, and Mulberry.
"Despite an increase in population, crime continues to decline in unincorporated Polk County and our contract cities. We attribute our success to our proactive crime-fighting strategies, frequent probation checks, and holding criminals accountable for their actions, as well as our community partnerships and 3,000+ strong volunteer unit. We will continue to work proactively and effectively to fight crime and keep our neighborhoods safe." - Grady Judd, Sheriff
There were 1,775 crimes in the first half of 2025 as compared to 2,353 crimes during the same time frame in 2024, a total reduction in reported crimes of 24.6%.
There were decreases in all 7 crime categories: homicides, rapes, robberies, aggravated assaults, burglaries, larcenies, and motor vehicle thefts. Violent crime decreased 21.9% and non-violent crime decreased 25.6%.
Crime in the Polk County unincorporated area and Sheriff's Office contract cities:
