Crime Scene Investigators: Reality vs. TV

During the winter, Collier County’s population swells as more than a million visitors and seasonal residents come to town. More people means more calls for service, more traffic crashes, and more large public events. In this episode we’re looking at how the Collier County Sheriff’s Office overcomes the challenges of our winter season while continuing to keep everyone safe.

In this special mini episode of Sworn Statement, CCSO Media Relations Specialist Brian Barcelo speaks with members of our North Naples District to tak a deeper look at how our patrol deputies plan to keep our communities safe on Halloween night.

It's Halloween Week! And in this special mini episode of Sworn Statement, CCSO Media Relations Specialist Brian Barcelo speaks with Youth Relations Sgt. Karen Eggleston who has a host of Halloween safety tips to share.  

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office is committed to helping and protecting the youth of our community. As part of that mission, CCSO aids kids and families who are struggling through our delinquency prevention services. The goal is to mentor troubled youth and help them choose the right path to better their lives and prevent crime in the future. In this episode we talk to the lieutenant of our Delinquency Prevention and Enforcement Bureau, as well as the supervisor of our Juvenile Resource Center. These delinquency prevention specialists tell us about all the beneficial services they offer and how it’s bettering the kids of Collier County.

From microscopic DNA to large stolen vehicles, the evidence of a crime can take any shape or form. At CCSO, we have more than 300,000 items in our Property & Evidence Bureau. Where is it all held? How long is it kept? What are some of the more unique items? What’s the oldest piece of evidence? And what happens to high-liability items like guns, drugs and cash? In this episode two Property & Evidence Technicians tell us the ins and outs of cataloguing, storing and maintaining it all.

If you’ve seen any of the CSI television series, you’re familiar with Crime Scene Investigators. But how accurate are those TV shows? Is what you see on the screen the same as what CSIs actually do at a crime scene or in the lab? In this episode we interview two Crime Scene Investigators from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office to find out.

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has a deputy in every one of our public schools – plus some private and charter schools – protecting more than 46,000 students each day. These Youth Relations Deputies are more than just law enforcement officers. They’re counselors, mentors, teachers, confidants, and sometimes even nurses and mechanics. In this episode we describe all that a YRD does, why it matters to the students and staff, and how rewarding the job can be for the deputies.

We’re closing out our spring season with some summer safety tips for the warm months ahead: How can you keep your home safe when on vacation? What should you talk to your kids about if they’re staying home this summer? And with kids out of school we’re going to see more e-bikes – how can riders and drivers help avoid accidents? Plus we tell you all about Sheriff Rambosk’s Summerfest activities for kids.

In the final episode of our series about CCSO’s patrol districts, we’re looking at District 8. This district includes Immokalee and Ave Maria, plus huge swaths of commercial farmland. Listen to find out how deputies protect and serve these two growing towns plus more than 500 square miles of mostly rural land.

Up next in our look at the CCSO patrol districts we dive into District 5. This district, the southern part of Collier County, is the largest of our districts at 1,123 square miles. Plus, it includes two municipalities, two national parks and two state parks. Listen to find out how deputies handle the issues that arise in District 5, including missing persons, wildfires, wildlife encounters, and patrolling 2,050 miles of road.