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.

Dec 22, 2017

PCSO Vice Unit Arrests Three Men at Local Parks

Media Contact: Carrie Horstman, PIO

On December 21, 2017, the PCSO Undercover Vice Unit conducted an operation at Saddle Creek Park and Gator Creek Preserve in unincorporated Polk County, in response to complaints about lewd activity at these parks. Three suspects were arrested and each were trespassed from all county parks.

75-year-old Kenneth Davis of Bartow, exposed himself to a male undercover PCSO detective at Saddle Creek Park in Lakeland, and solicited the detective to perform a lewd act. He told detectives he's been married for 40 years. Davis was arrested and charged with one count indecent exposure (M-1) and one count soliciting another to commit lewdness (M-1). He was released from jail after posting $1,000 bond.

66-year-old Ervin Mulligan of Lakeland, exposed himself to a male undercover PCSO detective at Gator Creek Preserve in Lakeland, and solicited the detective to perform a lewd act. Mulligan told detectives (and they confirmed) he was arrested at Saddle Creek Park during a similar undercover operation in 2010. At that time he was trespassed from all county parks. He also told detectives he's been married for 12 years. He was arrested and charged with one count indecent exposure (M-1), one count soliciting another to commit lewdness (F-3), and one count trespassing (M-1). He is being held in the Polk County Jail on $2,000 bond.

70-year-old Robert Ross of North Carolina, solicited a male undercover PCSO detective to perform a lewd act, and grabbed the detective against the detective's will at Saddle Creek Park in Lakeland. Ross was arrested and charged with one count battery (M-1), and one count soliciting another to commit lewdness (M-2). He told detectives he's been married for 12 years. He is being held in the Polk County Jail on $750.00 bond.