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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 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.
Apr 19, 2022
PCSO unveils new "Autism Decal" program to help deputies identify those with needs
Media Contact: Carrie Horstman, Administrator
In response to suggestions from our citizens, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office announces a new free program where citizens can elect to put decals on their homes and vehicles alerting deputies that someone within has been diagnosed with autism.
“Our deputies are trained on the unique characteristics, behaviors, and needs of people with autism. When a deputy sees one of these stickers, or responds to a home that has registered for this program, he or she will know they might interact with someone who has difficulty communicating or interacting with others. This enables us to better communicate with those who have special needs.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
The Autism Decal comes with a registration form, and the information on the form is entered into a database. Those who do not wish to affix a decal to their home or vehicle can still fill out the registration form to be entered into the database. The database enables PCSO to flag addresses into the dispatch system, so arriving deputies will be aware that someone with autism lives in the home.
If you are interested in participating in this program, please email autismdecal@polksheriff.org and a Crime Prevention Specialist will send you the form and corresponding information.