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.

May 3, 2018

PCSO Deputies arrest prolific residential burglary suspect

Media Contact: Brian Bruchey, PIO

This story was posted on the PCSO Facebook page, in reference to the arrest of Kurt Schmudde, who burglarized a home in Davenport and stole three televisions:

In mid-March, Polk County deputies responded to a reported residential burglary on Birkdale Street in Davenport. Stolen from the home were three TV’s.

The detective who was working the case learned of a former employee who once worked for the property management company that took care of the home. Say hello to our little suspect…his name is Schmudde.

Schmudde was, at the time, on probation for burglarizing a Lake County vacation rental. You don't say?

Then the investigation took another interesting turn. In late April, Schmudde got arrested in Osceola County for…you guessed it…burglary of a vacation residence. So not only is Schmudde a one-trick pony, he also gets around. Not much anymore though.Our detective went to Osceola County Jail and spoke with Schmudde.

Schmudde’s shtick (say that three times fast) was to burglarize property management homes where he had access, steal tv’s, and exchange them for some Coke in Haines City.

We're cops...we're not fans of Coke. We prefer Pepsi.

So now, Schmudde sits in the Osceola County Jail. But he'll be visiting the Polk County Jail soon, by popular demand.