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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 Carrie Horstman, Brian Bruchey, and Julianna Rivera. 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 1, 2025
Operation Pop Top: Lake Wales sales clerk arrested for selling alcohol to 17-year old
Media Contact: Brian S Bruchey
A sales clerk in Lake Wales was arrested on Thursday, November 20, 2025, by deputies from the Polk County Sheriff's Office during the ongoing Operation Pop Top campaign.
The operation has deputies visiting various stores throughout the county checking to make sure the stores do not sell alcohol to anyone under the age of 21, per Florida law. The deputies are assisted in these visits with a member of the PCSO's Cadet 1000-- a program for high school students who are interested in a career in law enforcement.
"My suggestion to these stores and their clerks is to check ID's and refuse to sell alcoholic beverages to anyone under 21. We do these checks often, and if someone sells to one of these students working with is, that clerk will go to jail." - Grady Judd, Sheriff
Deputies visited a total of ten stores in the Lake Wales area on this day, and the student successfully purchased alcohol at one-- the Food Mart at 19509 US 27 in Lake Wales. The clerk, Ambreen Amber was arrested and taken to the Sheriff's Processing Center and charged with Selling and Alcoholic Beverage to a Person under 21, a misdemeanor.