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.

Jan 25, 2019

First rabies case of 2019 confirmed in Polk County

Media Contact: Brian Bruchey, PIO

The Polk County Sheriff's Office Animal Control Section confirmed on Friday, January 25, 2019, the first positive Rabies case in Polk County for the year.

On January 23, 2019, a woman visiting a residence on Hammockview Drive in Lakeland, noticed a donkey with an animal in its mouth. When she came back outside with the homeowner, they discovered that the animal was a dead raccoon, so they contacted Animal Control.

The raccoon was collected and sent out for rabies testing.

Results of the test were received on January 25, 2019, which confirmed rabies.

The homeowner has two donkeys, but it was unknown which one had the raccoon in its mouth. Both donkeys were placed in a six-month quarantine.

There were three confirmed rabies cases in Polk County in 2018.