Behind the Star

All eyes had been on Hurricane Dorian for nearly a week. A team of men and women at the Orange County Sheriff's Office were prepared for the impacts of the storm. Leading that team is Lt. Bill Bartlett, a veteran of OCSO who is in charge of Emergency Management. Before the storm passed Central Florida, Bartlett sat down with Behind the Star host Jon Busdeker to discuss how OCSO prepares for an eme...

Sgt. Danielle Batlemento has worked at the Orange County Courthouse for nearly 25 years. She is one of more than 150 men and women who keep the sprawling complex in downtown Orlando safe. Behind the Star host Jon Busdeker talks with Betlemento about the challenges of protecting attorneys, judges, juries and the public and  what happens when someone "accidentally" brings drugs or firearms to the co...

The Crime Scene Investigation Unit at the Orange County Sheriff's Office is on the front line of solving crimes in Orange County. Mikayla. Overholtzer and Missy Roughgarden, both Crime Scene Investigators, sit down with Behind the Star host Jon Busdeker to discuss what life's like working in Forensics. (Warning: This episode may contain information not suitable for all audiences.) 

The new school year for Orange County Public Schools started this week, which means crossing guards are posted at crosswalks around the county. Bertis Negron is the School Guard Coordinator at the Orange County Sheriff's Office and supervises more than 400 employees. Behind the Star host Jon Busdeker talks to Negron how locations for crossing guards are determined, who applies for the job, what tr...

The Orange County Sheriff's Office is always looking to hire deputies and civilians. As an agency that employs nearly 2,500 people, OCSO prides itself with hiring highly qualified candidates of the highest integrity for all positions. But what exactly are we looking for? That's the job of Field Recruiter Sgt. Steve Harrielson. Host Jon Busdeker talks to Harrielson about the requirements for sworn...

Has your house ever been broken into? Has anything ever been stolen out of your vehicle? If so, it's Corporal Kelly Deegan's job to work the case. Deegan is part of the Criminal Investigations Division Property Unit, which handles thousands of cases each year. Investigators like Deegan are tasked with investigating residential, commercial and vehicle burglaries, as well as thefts, criminal mischie...

Master Deputy Lindsay Whitesell and Deputy First Class Andrew Stephens discuss life in the Mounted Unit at the Orange County Sheriff's Office. About a dozen horses are part of the unit which patrols Orange County, handles crowd control and performs search and rescue. Whitesell and Stephens answer the tough questions, including: "What happens when a horse has to use the bathroom?"  This week's epis...

Captain Tony Marlow oversees Sector 3, a large portion of Orange County that includes Dr. Phillips, Horizons West and Pine Hills. Marlow, who grew up in North Florida, played basketball at the University of Central Florida before becoming an Orange County Deputy. Marlow talks to Behind the Star host Jon Busdeker about the perception vs. reality of Pine Hills and the challenges of protecting a grow...

Sheriff John Mina talks about his career as a law enforcement officer, from working on the streets of Orlando to overseeing the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Mina was elected Orange County Sheriff in November 2018.