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.

Jun 29, 2021

One arrested for illegal alcohol sale during Operation Pop Top

Media Contact: Alicia Manautou, PIO

Eighteen convenience stores were visited by deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on Monday, June 28, 2021; it was part of the ongoing Operation Pop Top initiative to make sure alcohol is not being sold to anyone under 21-years of age, in accordance with state law.

The deputies were assisted by a 18-year-old PCSO Explorer who visited the various stores in the Fort Meade, Bartow, and the unincorporated Lakeland area. Explorers are high school students who are interested in a career in law enforcement.

Of the eighteen stores visited, only one was non-compliant with the law.

42-year-old Wael Mohamed Afifi Mahmoud was arrested for selling an alcoholic beverage to the Explorer. Mahmoud is employed by the RaceTrac store at 1690 N Broadway Ave in Bartow. The charge is a misdemeanor.

The other seventeen stores that were visited were:
JVJ Food Store Inc., 825 S Charleston Ave, Fort Meade
BP Foodstore, 724 E Broadway, Fort Meade
Sunoco (privately owned), 3 E Broadway, Fort Meade
Circle K, 116 N Charleston Ave, Fort Meade
Macs Discount Food, 822 N Charleston Ave, Fort Meade
Citgo Homeland Food Store, 6005 HWY 17 S, Homeland
Plaza Foods, 1995 Hwy 17 S, Bartow
Sunoco (privately owned), 1410 US HWY 17 S, Bartow
Mon Food BDA JJ, 1405 US Highway 17 S, Bartow
Quickmart, 1140 E Van Fleet D, Bartow
7-Eleven, 1020 N Broadway Ave, Bartow
7-Eleven, 6175 South US 98, Lakeland
RaceTrac, 4285 US Hwy 98, Lakeland
7-Eleven, 2010 Edgewood Dr, Lakeland
Circle K, 1705 Bartow Rd, Lakeland
Grove Park Mobil, 1315 Hwy 98 S, Lakeland