Behind the Star

The Orange County Sheriff's Office's Mobile Video Game Theater is one of the newest vehicles at the agency. The "Game Trailer," which is decked out with some of the latest video game systems, is meant to create a connection between law enforcement and the youth in Orange County. Sgt. D'Angelo Bell and Deputy Micheaux Boyce talk to Behind the Star host Jon Busdeker about the Video Game Theater and...

If you dial 9-1-1 in Orange County, the call goes to the Orange County Sheriff's Office Communications Center. The center receives more than a million calls every year. On this episode of Behind the Star, Emergency Communications Specialist Nancy Grassi and Dispatcher Nikayla Phillip talk to host Jon Busdeker about life at the Comm Center.

Analytics, Intelligence and Monitoring, better known as AIM, is a unit that assists deputies in real-time. With access to thousands of video feeds from across the county, detectives and analysts can monitor a situation and help deputies responding to calls for service.  Sergeant Glenn Arguilla talks to Behind the Star host Jon Busdeker about AIM and how it works.

Sector V is commonly known as the tourist corridor. Home to many attractions and hotels, as well as more than 25,000 residents, the sector includes Sea World Orlando, Universal Orlando and the Orange County Convention Center. Captain Joe Scutero talks to Behind the Star host Jon Busdeker about Sector 5 and its unique challenges.

Orange County Sheriff John Mina sits down with Behind the Star host Jon Busdeker to talk about the agency and its initiatives in 2021. From the launch of the Autism Decal Program to the new policy of releasing body-worn camera video, Mina discusses a wide range of topics in this year in a review podcast. 

In 1996, Terry Paquette was murdered at the Lil' Champ convenience store in northwest Orange County. He was stabbed 73 times. The case went unsolved for more than 25 years. OCSO Det. Brian Savelli and Corporal Dave Nutting talk to Behind the Star host Jon Busdeker talk about the case, how it was solved and the man arrested for Paquette's murder.

Behind the Star host Jon Busdeker returns to Sector III to talk to Captain Dennis Ela. Sector III is comprised of the western portion of Orange County and includes the communities of Pine Hills, Orlo Vista, Horizon West and more. Captain Ela is a 26-year veteran of the Sheriff's Office and was assigned to Sector III in January 2021. 

Sgt. Wayne Lenihan teaches Bike School at the Orange County Sheriff's Office. During the 40-hour training session, deputies learn the proper way to ride a bike, including how to brake, dismount and maneuver various terrains. Behind the Star host Jon Busdeker talks to Lenihan about the class and why deputies on bikes are so vital to the agency.

The Central Florida Intelligence Exchange, better known as CFIX, is a partnership between law enforcement agencies across the region to exchange information and intelligence. At its core, the mission of CFIX is to disrupt and deny terrorist and criminal activity. CFIX Director Matt Butler and Deputy Director Jon Cute talk to Behind the Star host Jon Busdeker about the role of CFIX and how it's pro...

If you are active military or a veteran, the Orange County Sheriff's Office wants you. But if you have questions about joining the agency, the person to talk to is Orange County Sheriff's Office Military Field Recruiter Rick DeMarco. For the past six years, DeMarco has assisted military service members in the hiring process. In this episode, host Jon Busdeker talks to DeMarco about where he finds...

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. 

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. 

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. Detectives Brian Hummel and Jacob Devine talk to Behind the Star host Jon Busdeker wild world of economic crimes and how to avoid being scammed. 

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...

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.

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, how the unit will respond to calls and what the teams have encountered in the field.

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. 

Sector 6 of the Orange County Sheriff's Office is tasked with keeping Walt Disney World and the areas around it safe. Sector Commander 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 how deputies interact with tourists from across the globe. 

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. 

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. 

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 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.