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.

Aug 11, 2021

Polk County's third case of rabies confirmed

Media Contact: Carrie Horstman, Administrator

On August 5, 2021, Polk County Animal Control responded to a home on Lake Drive in the Waverly area, where two family dogs had killed a bat in the yard.

The dogs' owner called Animal Control, and the Animal Control Officers collected the bat carcass and sent it to the state laboratory in Tampa for testing.

On Monday, August 10th, the results of the test confirmed that the bat was infected with rabies.

The two male boxers are vaccinated, but out of an abundance of caution, will remain quarantined inside their home for 45 days.

This is Polk County’s third case of rabies in 2021. The previous two cases involved a raccoon and a fox.