Only seven men have served as Sheriff of Collier County. Today we're looking back the Sheriff who had the shortest tenure, but had an indelible impact on the county in its early days. Hear how Sheriff Roy O. Atkins maintained law and order from 1953 to 1956 from someone who knew him best.

Remembering Sheriff Roy O. Atkins

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.

Intercepting Child Predators

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.

Searching for Margaret: Inside CCSO's rescue operation

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.

Reflecting on 100: How CCSO celebrated its past & future in 2023

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.

Inside the K9 Unit: How CCSO’s dogs protect Collier

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.

“Why’d You Ticket Me?”: The Facts on Traffic Enforcement

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.

Underwater Experts: CCSO's Dive Team

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.

Dusk to Dawn – The Nightshift with CCSO

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.

How to Fight Fraud and Stop Scammers

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.

How 287(g) Keeps Collier County Safe

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.

Spring Break Safety in Southwest Florida

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.

CCSO’S Fight Against Animal Cruelty

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.

Emergency Response Team: CCSO's Swiss Army Knife

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.

Care, Custody & Control: The Role of a Corrections Officer

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?

Preventing Disaster: CCSO’s partnership to protect its 911 system

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.

What Happens When Someone Goes Missing?

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.

Hurricane Readiness: Lessons Learned from Irma and Ian

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.

Securing the Courtroom: The Role of Bailiffs

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.

Stopping Retail Theft to Save You Money

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.

E-Bikes: Rules of the Road

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.

Care During Crisis: CCSO’s Behavioral Health Bureau

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.

Advocating For Our Seniors

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.

Holiday Safety: Stay Secure While Shopping

Episode 1 of Sworn Statement explores the case of a deceased hiker whose body was found in the Florida Everglades in July 2018. We start with what the 911 caller saw and follow the investigation as detectives learn that the man was a thru-hiker. After that, the case goes cold. 
Host: Kristine Gill, Media Relations Specialist for the Collier County Sheriff's Office
Guests: 
Kim Cherney, Criminal Research Investigator with the Collier County Sheriff's Office
Kevin O'Neill, homicide investigator with the Collier County Sheriff's Office
Kelly Fairbanks, trail angel
Nichalaus Horton, 911 caller and hiker
Misti Little, thru hiker and host of the Orange Blaze podcast on the Florida Trail http://orangeblaze.thegardenpathpodcast.com/about/

Thanks to Tyler Socash of Foot Stuff Podcast for background on the thru-hiking community. https://www.footstuffpodcast.com/

Music: Art of Silence by Uniq https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V-pYCGx0C4

For photos of the hiker, and more on the podcast, visit www.colliersheriff.org/news/sworn-statement.

Mostly Harmless Episode 1

Episode 2 of Sworn Statement is the second of three episodes exploring the case of the deceased hiker known as Mostly Harmless. In this episode, we explain how missing persons databases work and why DNA may or may not help to pinpoint the hiker's identity. We also follow the trail investigators used in tracking Mostly Harmless' hike, the places he stopped and the people he met along the way.

Host: Kristine Gill, Media Relations Specialist with the Collier County Sheriff's Office
Guests: 
Carrie Sutherland, 
Lori Napolitano
Kim Cherney, Criminal Research Investigator with the Collier County Sheriff's Office
Kevin O'Neill, homicide investigator with the Collier County Sheriff's Office
Mike Gormley, trail angel
Kelly Fairbanks, trail angel
Bob Gabrielsen, proprietor at Top of Georgia Hostel
Matt Mason, employee at Mountain Crossings and thru-hiker

Thanks to Tyler Socash of Foot Stuff Podcast for background on the thru-hiking community. https://www.footstuffpodcast.com/

Clips from Fox News and Forensic Files

Music: Art of Silence by Uniq https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V-pYCGx0C4

For photos of the hiker, and more on the podcast, visit www.colliersheriff.org/news/sworn-statement.

Mostly Harmless Episode 2

Episode 3 of Sworn Statement is the third and final episode exploring the case of the deceased hiker known as Mostly Harmless. In this episode, we look at some of the reasons why Mostly Harmless might have earned his trail name. And we also discuss some theories behind why he might have kept his identity private. 

Host: Kristine Gill, Media Relations Specialist for the Collier County Sheriff's Office
Guests: 
Kim Cherney, Criminal Research Investigator with the Collier County Sheriff's Office
Kevin O'Neill, homicide investigator with the Collier County Sheriff's Office
Brandon Dowell, thru-hiker
Jeremy Knoff, thru-hiker
Simon Jones, actor
Kelly Fairbanks, trail angel

Thanks to Tyler Socash of Foot Stuff Podcast for background on the thru-hiking community. https://www.footstuffpodcast.com/

Clips from the Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy audio book, Eddie Vedder's "Guaranteed" featured in Into the Wilde

Music: Art of Silence by Uniq https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V-pYCGx0C4

For photos of the hiker, and more on the podcast, visit www.colliersheriff.org/news/sworn-statement.

Mostly Harmless Episode 3

Season Two of Sworn Statement will focus on the mental health crisis in Southwest Florida and what deputies at the Collier County Sheriff's Office are doing to help. Season Two is comprised of three episodes.

Season Two Trailer -- Sworn Statement

Season 2 Episode 2 -- Breaking The Cycle

Season 2 Episode 3 -- The Safety Net

Season 2 Episode 1 -- Florida Man Gets Help

The Collier County Sheriff's Office is a law enforcement agency in Southwest Florida. Under the direction of Sheriff Kevin Rambosk, we are launching this podcast to communicate with residents and the public at large on a new and different type of platform. In this podcast, we'll discuss local issues and those affecting public safety on a larger scale. To learn more about our agency and the podcast, visit www.colliersheriff.org/news/sworn-statement

Sworn Statement Podcast

Popular tracks