Sworn Statement

Up next in our look at the CCSO patrol districts we dive into District 5. This district, the southern part of Collier County, is the largest of our districts at 1,123 square miles. Plus, it includes two municipalities, two national parks and two state parks. Listen to find out how deputies handle the issues that arise in District 5, including missing persons, wildfires, wildlife encounters, and patrolling 2,050 miles of road.

In our latest of our series exploring CCSO’s patrol districts, we look at District 4. This district, which includes Golden Gate Estates, has a lot of land and a lot of people. And it’s rapidly growing – Collier County is expanding eastward, with new neighborhoods and businesses popping up all the time. Listen to find out how our deputies patrol this unique district

Next up in our look at Collier County through CCSO’s patrol districts, we explore East Naples. District 3 is full of busy streets that seem to be getting busier. It also includes CCSO headquarters and our Emergency Communications Center. Listen to find out how our deputies patrol some of the busiest roads in the county, how the boom in construction has affected the area, and how they fight theft at our biggest retailers.

On this season of our podcast Sworn Statement, we’re looking at the six patrol districts that make up CCSO’s jurisdiction. In the latest episode we explore District 2. It includes Golden Gate City, an area packed with people and traffic. District 2 also includes some of North Naples, a bit of East Naples, and 30 miles of I-75. Listen now to find out what makes District 2 unique and what our deputies love about working there.

On this season of CCSO’s Sworn Statement podcast we’re looking at Collier County through the eyes of our deputies by exploring the areas they patrol. We live in one of the most diverse locations in the world, and the men and women of CCSO protect and secure all 2,305 square miles of it. This season we’re looking at the six patrol districts that make up our jurisdiction, giving you a better insight into our community by exploring what makes each area of Collier County unique. We’re starting this series with District 1, our North Naples district. It’s home to beaches, nightlife and plenty of visitors. Listen to this episode to find out how CCSO patrols such a densely populated area.

It’s the holiday season, and Sheriff Kevin Rambosk wants to help you stay safe while shopping. In this episode, CCSO’s Crime Prevention unit tells you how to protect yourself and your belongs while getting gifts – whether you’re shopping at stores, buying online, or having gifts delivered to your home.

CCSO’s Victim Advocacy Unit provides support and crisis care for survivors of crime. Within that unit is our Senior Services group that specializes in protecting aging adults and providing resources to caregivers. In this episode, find out how our Senior Advocates keep these vulnerable people safe, and how the Collier County Sheriff’s Office helps families prevent their loved ones from going missing.

Prevention, intervention, treatment, wellness. That's the philosophy of the Collier County Sheriff's Office Behavioral Health Bureau (BHB), which helps people in crisis resulting from mental illness or substance use struggles. In this episode members of our BHB describe how CCSO is addressing mental health in our community by providing support and resources to those who need it.

Are e-bikes allowed on the road? What about e-scooters? Are helmets required? Are there different rules for different types of e-bikes? How can we make the roads safer for both riders and drivers? In this episode we break down all the rules and regulations for e-bikes, e-scooters and e-motos. We’ll also tell you what you need to know to stay safe on one of these electronic modes of transportation, plus how to protect your e-bike from theft.

You might think of shoplifting as a minor crime, but it can have major impacts. Retail theft causes stores to raise prices for law-abiding citizens. And many times suspects who shoplift go on to commit more serious crimes. In this episode, two members of Retail Theft Unit discuss their efforts to prevent these crimes, how they track down thieves, and why it’s vital to our community.

In this episode we’re exploring one of the essential roles of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, but one most people are unfamiliar with – bailiffs. Bailiffs are vital to the safety and security of our courts. CCSO bailiffs Sgt. Juan Muniz and Cpl. Kevin Dennis join us to explain their jobs, how they work with judges, and why they’re essential in keeping the courts running smoothly. They also explain why the role of bailiff is a career you should consider.

This is the height of hurricane season. More hurricanes have hit Florida in September than in any other month. That includes two of the biggest storm to ever strike Southwest Florida – Irma in 2017, and Ian in 2022. In this episode we look back at Irma and Ian, and discuss what lessons we can learn from them going forward. We'll tell you how to be prepared before and during a hurricane, but also what to do and how to protect yourself after the storm.

When people go missing, the deputies of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office follow every trail and investigate every lead possible to try to find them. Even if those leads go cold, a missing person case is never closed. Sheriff Kevin Rambosk and his deputies are always searching. But what does that search look like? How do our detectives investigate? Where do they look? What tools does CCSO have to find missing people? And why do we work so hard to solve these cases? In this episode we discuss the great lengths CCSO goes to in order to find missing persons.

As we enter hurricane season, Sheriff Kevin Rambosk and the Collier County Sheriff’s Office are prepared to protect our community in any scenario. That’s why CCSO has partnered with the emergency communications team in Charleston, South Carolina. In program that’s one of the first of its kind, CCSO and Charleston will serve as each other’s backups if either 911 system goes down due to a hurricane or any other largescale emergency. In this episode, we’re looking at how this partnership is possible. How can two jurisdictions separated by 600 miles answer each other’s calls and get first responders where they need to go? And what does it mean for the people of Southwest Florida, and those in Charleston?

For National Correctional Officers Week, we taking a look at our deputies inside the jails who are responsible for the safety of the inmates. Our Corrections Department’s mission is to create a safer community by effectively managing offenders and providing opportunities for positive change. In this episode, we talk to three Correctional Officers who are doing just that. We’ll tell you what it’s like to work inside the jail, why it’s a surprisingly rewarding job, and why it might be a career worth looking into.

When there’s a large-scale critical incident in Collier County, Sheriff Kevin Rambosk turns to his Emergency Response Team. The ERT is highly trained in tactical response so it can respond to high-risk situations. Originally started for crowd safety at large gatherings, the ERT has evolved into a multi-purpose, do-it-all team that can respond to any situation to protect the people of Collier County. In this episode, we talk with two members of CCSO’s ERT, Lt. John Russo and First Sgt. James Driscoll. They describe how our ERT became the Swiss Army Knife of our agency. They tell us about their specialized training and all the different situations they’ve responded to – from hurricanes to brush fires to missing persons to protests.

April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month, but Sheriff Kevin Rambosk works year round to stop this heinous act. The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has an entire unit dedicated to investigating and stopping animal neglect, and bringing anyone who harms animals to justice. In this episode we tell you all about our Animal Cruelty Investigations Alliance – how it investigates cases, why it is imperative that we protect animals, and what some of our most prominent and memorable cases have been.

Fingerprints are universal, and they’re unique. That’s what makes them essential in fighting crime. In this episode of Sworn Statement, we talk to the fingerprint experts at the Collier County Sheriff’s Office about the many ways their work helps solve cases. They tell us how fingerprints are discovered, how they’re analyzed, and how they’re stored in order to solve cases in the future. And we tell you what you can do if you’re ever the victim of a crime to preserve fingerprint evidence and help CCSO identify suspects.

It’s Spring Break – the time of year when thousands of visitors pour into Collier County, joining our seasonal snowbirds and permanent residents. March is the busiest month of the year in Southwest Florida, and that means the Collier County Sheriff Office is working harder than ever to keep our community safe. In this episode, we’re taking an all-encompassing look at how CCSO is protecting everyone this Spring Break. Listen to find out how deputies handle the influx of people in our tourist hotspots, hear a beach patrol deputy describe his duties and answer some commonly-asked questions about beach rules, and find out how to protect yourself in public as the county gets busier and busier.

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has participated in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s 287(g) program for nearly two decades. Long before the recent interest in ICE and immigration, CCSO has been using 287(g) to keep criminals off the street. However, there are many questions and misconceptions surrounding the 287(g) program and CCSO’s relationship with ICE. In this episode, Sheriff Kevin Rambosk offers a clear, detailed view of how 287(g) works, what powers it does and doesn’t give CCSO, and how it helps us continue to make Collier County one of the safest communities in the country.

When aerial support is needed quickly, more and more law enforcement agencies are turning to drones. The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has a fleet of drones that can rapidly respond when it might be unpractical or unsafe to use a helicopter or a deputy. In this first episode of the spring season, we tell you all about the amazing capabilities of CCSO’s Drone Unit. We’ll look at the history of the unit, the types of incidents our drones respond to, the fantastic abilities of these machines, and how they help us protect and serve the people of Collier County.

As we prepare for 2025, it’s a good time to talk to Sheriff Rambosk about all that the Collier County Sheriff’s Office does to keep our community safe. In this episode Sheriff Rambosk discusses the challenges facing our county, talks about how CCSO connects with the community, and goes through the training and the technology we use to enhance public safety. The Sheriff also tells us about CCSO’s measures to keep everyone safe this holiday season.

A man is shot in the chest while trying to help a victim of domestic violence. That man is alive today thanks to the decisive actions of a Collier County Sheriff’s Office deputy. In this episode, we’ll tell you how that deputy was able to save the man using the extensive and advanced medical training Sheriff Kevin Rambosk provides to CCSO members. We’ll talk to our medical trainer about how CCSO’s training goes above and beyond most law enforcement agencies; how it goes much deeper than basic first aid and into the type of training that saves soldiers on the battlefield; and how that is saving lives in Collier County. Then we’ll hear a firsthand account of saving a life from the deputy who treated the gunshot victim.

With advances in technology and the rise of artificial intelligence, financial scams are becoming highly sophisticated, and the scammers are becoming much more convincing. It’s now easier than ever for tricksters to take your money. Sheriff Kevin Rambosk and the Collier County Sheriff’s Office are here to help. In this episode members of CCSO’s Financial Crimes Bureau who tell us how to protect yourself and your hard-earned dollars. Sergeant Heather Nichols and Detective Leah Ford explain the latest scams and tell you how to avoid them.

As the roadways of Collier County get more congested, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office is working harder than ever to keep the streets safe. In this episode, we’ll show you what CCSO is doing to protect drivers and pedestrians. Our deputies are on the street looking for dangerous behavior – that includes running red lights, aggressive driving, distracted driving, and failing to stop for school buses. We’ll also take a look at the consequences and tragic results of these infractions.

Since the tragic school shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia, law enforcement agencies around the country are responding to online school threats almost daily. When it comes to keeping our schools safe, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office takes every precaution and investigates every single threat. Since 2018, CCSO has partnered with Collier County Public Schools to form our Threat Management Team, an innovative, multi-faceted approach to school safety. In this episode, we’ll hear from Sheriff Kevin Rambosk and Collier Schools superintendent Dr. Leslie Ricciardelli about how they are raising awareness in order to put an end to online threats. We’ll also talk to two members of our Threat Management Team who are on the frontlines every day keeping students safe.

Follow along as we show you how the Collier County Sheriff’s Office prepares for an incoming hurricane. Although Collier County was fortunate to avoid the worst of Hurricane Helene’s wrath, Sheriff Rambosk ensured that his agency was ready in case of a major disaster. In this episode we take you inside CCSO’s storm response. Listen as we sit in on emergency briefings, dispatch help to other counties, ride along with deputies on flooded roadways, and monitor the storm in real time.

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office is on the street protecting our community 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. But what do our deputies deal with in the dark of night, when most people are asleep? What kinds of calls and crimes occur before sunrise? And who are the deputies who work from dusk to dawn? In this episode, listen as we ride along with patrol for an entire 12-hour nightshift and learn what goes on overnight in Collier County.

They are the underwater experts. They are the specialists we turn to when it comes to retrieving anything from the murky, mucky, often dangerous water ways of Collier County. And with 307 square miles water, CCSO’s Dive Team plays a vital role in protecting our community. On this episode dive team members share stories of rescues, recoveries and alligator encounters. Lots and lots of alligator encounters.

Hurricane season is just a few days away, and we want you to be ready. In this episode we tell you what you can do to prepare and ways to stay safe during a storm. We also tell you how the Collier County Sheriff’s Office gets ready for hurricane season, and what our deputies do before, during, and after a storm. This week’s guests are Lt. Laura Lopez of our Emergency Management Division, and Lt. Stephen Macera, from our Real-Time Operations Center.

When people see a law enforcement helicopter overhead, they often assume there’s a crime in progress, but that’s not always the case. The CCSO Aviation Unit performs a diverse variety of tasks to protect Collier County. In this episode, Lieutenant Dennis De Rienzo and Chief Pilot Ed Henderson explain how they do much more than locate bad guys – they battle fires, they find and save people, and they support and protect deputies on the ground. They also tell us how the speed and reach of our helicopters are essential to patrolling a county that is bigger than two U.S. states.

In a large-scale emergency, like a hurricane or wildfire, first responders need all the help they can get. That’s why Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk is introducing the Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT. In this episode we look at how these citizen volunteers will be trained to protect themselves and their communities in the event of a disaster, and how that benefits everyone in Collier County.

For the past 45 years, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office has given students an inside look at law enforcement through its Explorers program. This program gives hands-on training with CCSO deputies and offers valuable lessons, even for students who aren’t interested in a career in law enforcement. In this episode, we talk to two deputies who run the program, and two students who currently are Explorers explain how the program prepares them for life after graduation.

A nationwide shortage of 9-1-1 dispatchers could mean longer wait times in an emergency. To solve this problem in Collier County, Sheriff Kevin Rambosk is thinking outside the box. In this episode, we’ll explore the creative ways Sheriff Rambosk is working to find the next generation of 9-1-1 telecommunicators through CCSO’s Public Safety Career Academy.

Why do people get pulled over? Why do speeding tickets cost so much? Why is safety on the roadways so important? Do cops have monthly ticket quotas? In this episode, Sergeant Anna Horowitz and Corporal Scott Harle from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office Safety & Traffic Enforcement Bureau answer everything you’ve ever wanted to know about traffic enforcement.

What happens to victims once a crime is over? They can be scared and confused. That’s where CCSO’s Victim Advocates step in. In this episode CCSO Victim Advocates Angela Larson and Jackie Borchers tell us how they help people get through trauma by supporting them and connecting them to the resources they need. Our advocates also share how difficult their job can be, especially when it comes to delivering death notices.

This season we’re exploring the lesser-known aspects of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, starting with our K9 Unit. Our deputies – both the dogs and their human handlers – do more than catch bad guys. They find missing people, they sniff out dangerous items, and they’re the first ones to enter the most volatile scenes. In this episode our Cpl. Diaz and Cpl. Walker explain the unique challenges and the joys of living and working with their K9 partners.

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office turned 100 this year. Sheriff Kevin Rambosk spent 2023 honoring our past, but also looking ahead with innovative public safety initiatives. In this episode, we look back on CCSO’s Centennial year and all that the agency has accomplished in the past 12 months. NOTE: This is the final episode of our fall season. Sworn Statement will return after the new year with all new episodes for our spring season. Subscribe wherever you get podcasts to get notified when we return.

The holiday season means more people shopping, spending more money than usual. That means more opportunities for criminals to come after your hard-earned cash. In this episode, we talk to Collier County Sheriff’s Office crime prevention deputies about the holiday-themed scams and frauds they’ve seen, and how you can protect your pocketbook when you shop.

It’s International Fraud Awareness Week, but the Collier County Sheriff’s Office works year-round to stop scammers. In this episode members of CCSO’s Financial Crimes Bureau break down three of the most common scams, tell you the techniques criminals use to defraud victims, plus how to avoid them.

Margaret Gallaway, 80, spent six days trapped inside a garage with no food and little water. Thanks to the efforts of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, with help from other agencies and the public, Margaret is alive and well. This episode takes you inside the search and rescue mission. Detectives describe the exhaustive efforts to find Margaret, while her family tells us about the relief and joy it brought them.

A brand new task force is targeting criminals who prey on the most vulnerable. The Collier County Sheriff’s Office is part of the Southwest Florida Intercept Task Force, which is fighting child exploitation and trafficking. In this episode we explain how the task force is saving children and provide tips on how to protect your kids from online predators.

With drug overdoses at an all-time high, Sheriff Kevin Rambosk has created an extensive and innovative plan to fight it in Collier County. This episode explores how the Laced & Lethal campaign brings awareness and prevention to all areas of the community with the most thorough fentanyl-fighting program in the country.

When Collier County opened its first new public high school in 19 years, the school district needed a name that signified service to students. The new school would be named for one of the seven men who have served as Sheriff of Collier County, and someone who dedicated his life to helping local children. In this episode we look at the namesake of Aubrey Rogers High School and explore the programs Sheriff Rogers created that are still protecting and serving the youth of today.

How can you avoid being a victim? In our season finale, we look at how the Collier County Sheriff's Office works to prevent crimes before they happen. We also give valuable tips to help you avoid some of the most common crimes of opportunity.

CSD stands for Community Service Deputies. They’re the Swiss Army knives of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, doing a little bit of everything to keep citizens safe. In this episode we dive deep into the role of CSD: what they do, how they’re different from (and the same as) law enforcement officers, and how it’s a job that is rewarding for people of all backgrounds and experience.

Collier County is always expanding. In the past 50 years alone our population has increased ten-fold. The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has worked hard to keep pace with that growth. In this episode, find out how CCSO has evolved to serve our ever-changing community, and how the Sheriff’s Office plans to keep pace in the future as Collier County’s growth shows no signs of slowing down.

As threats against schools rise on social media, how does law enforcement tell the difference between a hoax and a credible threat? How does CCSO weed out the fake threats and keep students safe from the real ones? In this episode we explore how the Collier County Sheriff's Office's unique relationship with the schools keeps kids safe, and we look at a real-life example of how a threat is assessed and investigated.