What happens if an explosive is discovered in Orange County? The OCSO Hazardous Devices Team, or Bomb Squad, is usually called out to dispose of it. Lieutenant Chris Hall and Master Deputy Kris Brooks talk to Behind the Star host Jon Busdeker about explosives, the bomb suit and how the team gets to blow stuff up. 

Behind the Star

It's Da Bomb - OCSO Hazardous Devices Team

Orange County Sheriff John Mina and Undersheriff Mark Canty discuss the Pulse nightclub shooting, how law enforcement responded and how the community can honor the victims.  In  2016, at the time of the shooting, both Mina and Canty worked for the Orlando Police Department. It has been five years since a gunman killed 49 people and injured dozens at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. 

Pulse Remembered - Special Episode

The Orange County Sheriff's Office Economic Crimes Squad is responsible for investigating the crimes of identity theft, credit card fraud, check fraud, embezzlement and various other “white collar” type crimes. Detective Brian Hummel and Jacob Devine talk to Behind the Star host Jon Busdeker wild world of economic crimes and how to avoid being scammed. 

Saving You $$$ - Economic Crimes Squad

Sector 4 of the Orange County Sheriff's Office is made up of mostly South Orange County, including the areas around Orange Blossom Trail. Captain Chris Barrett took over the Sector in October 2020. A native of Central Florida, Barrett has been at OCSO for 25 years. Barrett talks to Behind the Star host Jon Busdeker about Sector 4, the challenges patrolling the area and what he hopes to accomplish as Captain. 

Patrolling OBT and Beyond: Sector 4 Capt. Chris Barrett

Operation Quiet Nights is a multi-agency effort designed to stop street racers and illegal motorcycles in Orange County. Lt. Michael Crabb, the incident commander of Operation Quiet Nights, talks to Behind the Star host Jon Busdeker about the operation and how teams of law enforcement officers issued more than 1,700 tickets in two months. 

Operation Quiet Nights: Stopping Street Racing and Illegal Motorcycles

Denise Demps is the newest Chief Deputy at the Orange County Sheriff's Office. An Orlando native, Demps has been with OCSO for nearly 30 years and is the first Black woman promoted to Chief Deputy. Behind the Star host Jon Busdeker sat down with Demps to talk about her career at OCSO and her goals as the new Chief Deputy. 

Meet the new Chief Deputy: Denise Demps

The OCSO LGBTQ Liaisons are available to work work with all sectors and units of the Sheriff’s Office to identify with LGBT citizens and address their concerns. Lt. Brandon Ragan and Det. Mara Everson talk to Behind the Star host Jon Busdeker about the LGBTQ Liaison program, working at OCSO and how to sign up for the Safe Place initiative. 

Meet the LGBTQ Liaisons

The Orange County Sheriff's Office Law Enforcement Vehicle Operations (LEVO) section offers training designed to enhance the driving skills of OCSO deputies and civilians. Sgt. Michael Rosignol talks to Behind the Star host Jon Busdeker about PIT maneuvers, braking exercises and just how difficult it is for some drivers to go in reverse.

Driving the OCSO Way

The new Behavioral Response Unit at the Orange County Sheriff's Office pairs an OCSO deputy with a trained clinician from Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health. Sgt. Bruce Vail and Christin Edwards-Salinas discuss the new Behavioral Response Unit (BRU), how the unit will respond to calls and what the teams have encountered (so far) in the field.

Launching the Behavioral Response Unit

Every month, the Orange County Sheriff's Office takes in roughly 7,000 pieces of evidence. From firearms to bicycles to blood, a majority of the evidence is stored in a warehouse in Orange County. Evidence Manager Gene Bernal talks to Behind the Star host Jon Busdeker about the evidence process and how OCSO stores 500,000 pieces of evidence. 

From Blood to Bikes - A Trip to OCSO Evidence

Sector 6 of the Orange County Sheriff's Office is tasked with keeping Walt Disney World and the areas around it safe. Captain Bill Van de Water talks to Behind the Star host Jon Busdeker about the unique challenges of Sector 6, the growth in the sector and deputies interact with tourists from across the globe. 

Sector 6 - Keeping Walt Disney World Safe

It's a different world on the roads at night in Orange County. The Orange County County Sheriff's Office Evening Traffic Unit patrols the streets in marked and unmarked cars, specializing in DUI investigations, street racing and more. Deputies Ernesto Martinez and Steve Hallock talk to Behind the Star host Jon Busdeker about what goes on after dark. 

Nightriders - OCSO Evening Traffic Unit

From simulators to how to drive a patrol vehicle, training is ongoing at the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Cpl. Sebastian Santos of the Field Training and Evaluation Unit talks to Behind the Star host Jon Busdeker about how OCSO deputies train and what they do to prepare for the job. 

How to Train a Deputy

Bigger nose? Smaller eyes? Taller forehead? Master Deputy Timothy Horne can do it all as the Sketch Artist at the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Horne, a near 25-year veteran of law enforcement, talks to Behind the Star host Jon Busdeker about the process of sketching a suspect, how he learned to draw and how he works with victims on crafting a sketch. 

The Joy of Sketching

The Orange County Sheriff's Office Dive Team is made up of 20 members who are responsible for recovering items or people in Central Florida's bodies of water. OCSO Dive Team Corporal Bim Lowers and Master Deputy Billy McCoy talk to Behind the Star host Jon Busdeker about finding guns in lakes, how difficult it is to locate a submerged car and what happens when they find a body in the water.

Taking a Dip with the OCSO Dive Team

Behind the Star is the official podcast of the Orange County Sheriff's Office, the largest law enforcement agency in Central Florida. From forensics to dispatch to the deputies on patrol, we share stories and talk to the brave men and women of law enforcement.

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Behind the Star

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