Polk County Sheriff’s Phone# 863-298-6200
If in an emergency Dial 911
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 Meghan Petty. 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.
Mar 6, 2025
Operation Pop-Top: Davenport store clerk arrested for selling alcohol to 15-year old
Media Contact: Brian Bruchey, PIO
Deputies from the Polk County Sheriff's Office conducted another round of Operation Pop-Top stops on Monday, March 3, 2025, which resulted in the arrest of a Davenport convenience store clerk for an illegal alcohol sale.
Operation Pop-Top is an ongoing campaign in which deputies, assisted by a high school student, ensure that stores are compliant with state law by refusing to sell alcoholic beverages to anyone under 21-years of age. The students who attempt to purchase alcohol are members of the PCSO's Cadet 1000 program for high schoolers who are interested in a law enforcement career.
"On Monday, deputies visited a dozen stores, and all but one refused to sell alcohol to the student. It should have been all twelve refusing, but one sales clerk was irresponsible, and she ended up getting a ride to the county jail for selling beer to a 15-year old." - Grady Judd, Sheriff.
18-year old Kween Baker, a sales clerk at the RaceTrac at 45119 US 27, was arrested and charged with Selling an Alcoholic Beverage to a Person Under 21-years of age...a misdemeanor.