Lock'd Up with Copville

One bodycam video. Thousands of opinions. But what really happened? In this episode, I break down a viral bodycam encounter I was involved in and explain the decision-making that happens in real time. Everyone watching from behind a screen has an opinion, but policing isn’t about following a script—it’s about reading people, recognizing threats, and adapting to what unfolds in front of you. Someti...

Another day. Another arrest. Another internet firestorm. Sean Paul Reyes versus the Suffolk County PBA has turned into one of the most controversial law enforcement stories in the country. A trespassing arrest. A flood of opinions. Cops calling it a good arrest. Auditors calling it retaliation. So who's right? On this episode I cut through the social media nonsense and break down exactly what happ...

When the First Amendment becomes a fireable offense, you’ve got a problem. In this episode, I take on General Order One created by Sheriff Eric Flowers that classifies supporting another candidate as a Group III offense that results in termination. I break down how this policy stacks up against the Constitution and Florida law, including Florida Statute 30.073(5), which states that a regularly app...

Real talk about life, accountability, overcoming obstacles, and making the best out of every situation. None of us are perfect, but every day is another chance to be better than we were yesterday. That’s also what the Dilks for Sheriff campaign is about, accountability, transparency, and common-sense leadership. It’s about supporting deputies, serving the community, protecting constitutional right...

One week down and many weeks to go. In this campaign update, I discuss the first week of the race for Indian River County Sheriff, the overwhelming community support, campaign progress, and what’s ahead. Accountability, transparency, strong leadership, and a commitment to public safety remain at the center of this campaign. Join us as we continue the journey toward bringing common-sense leadership...

On this episode I announce my campaign for Indian River County Sheriff and makes one thing clear: the closet door is open, and the skeletons are coming out. After 23 years serving this county and a lifetime of putting the mission first, I am running on four simple principles: accountability, transparency, putting bad guys in jail, and ensuring deputies are physically fit and prepared to answer the...

Major announcement on this episode of Lock’d Up with Copville. Why do some employees get destroyed for minor policy violations while others appear protected no matter what they do? We break down allegations of male employees receiving better treatment than female employees, selective discipline inside the agency, and the politics behind who gets protected and who gets sacrificed. We also examine t...

“They Said They’d Never Forget.” But many believe IRCSO failed to remember former Deputy Paul Mewborn — and failed to remember his son, Maurice, he left behind who proudly graduated high school carrying the weight of his father’s legacy. Tonight’s episode is about more than budgets, politics, and leadership controversies. It’s about what happens when agencies talk about “brotherhood,” but the fami...

For years, people repeated the same story: “The case was dismissed because Detective Dilks was Brady-listed and couldn’t testify.” There was just one problem with that narrative… according to the appellate court, it wasn’t true. In this episode, we break down the court’s findings after a trial judge originally dismissed a major case while blaming delays tied to investigative materials involving De...

What happens when you ask your own officers how things are really going? You get the truth… and in Vero Beach, that truth isn’t pretty. In this episode, we break down two internal surveys from the Vero Beach Police Department (2022 & 2024)—and what they reveal is a pattern: Officers don’t trust leadership to make changes A growing disconnect between command staff and the street Claims that public...

A live update of the Moon video from my last episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What should have been a routine traffic stop turns into something far more serious. In this episode, Michael Dilks of Copville breaks down a controversial encounter involving Deputy Christen Moon and a female driver during a minor traffic stop. Based on video evidence, the interaction raises major questions about professionalism, restraint, and how citizens are treated during high-stress situation...

What happens when the media decides who gets heard—and who gets silenced? In this episode, former law enforcement officer Michael Dilks of Copville breaks down how he was blocked by Sebastian Daily, a local Indian River County news outlet, after speaking out against Sheriff Eric Flowers. Dilks dives into the reality behind the scenes—highlighting the relationship between Eric Flowers and Sebastian...

Speak up… and watch what happens. Former cop Michael Dilks gets real about leaving the job, choosing integrity over politics, and what it’s like when administration moves like a gang the second you don’t fall in line. This isn’t the version they put in recruiting videos. It’s the part where the system turns on you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The county gave the sheriff our money this year and and passed his budget next year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The county has waved the white flag and there is a special budget meeting this Tuesday to give the sheriff his money. Let’s talk about it live today at 2pm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Out of Gas, we break down how the citizens—and the deputies actually doing the work—are being left running on empty. While the community expects protection and professionalism, leadership is burning through resources like there’s no tomorrow. Sheriff Eric Flowers and his command staff continue to operate under a completely different set of rules—wasting agency resources, stretchin...

April Fools… or is it? In this episode, Copville pulls back the curtain on what’s really going on inside the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office—where the joke isn’t on the public… it is the public. When leadership starts looking more like a punchline than a command staff, you’ve got to ask: who’s actually running the show? We break down the growing concerns, the patterns that don’t add up, and t...

Why is America not outraged about an unarmed man being shot by police? Or does race play into what America get outraged about? I nreak it all down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From sexual harassment… to “just horseplay.” That’s not a joke—that’s the finding. In this episode, we dive into an internal affairs investigation that took a serious complaint and watered it down into something far less damaging on paper. Same actions. Different label. Completely different consequences. Click for full IA paperwork: https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/081w4FGz5HXZX1QFt-9cgzM3A#orde...

While everyone else gets investigated, written up, and crucified over policy—Captain Cliff Labbe and Sheriff Eric Flowers seem to be playing a completely different game. Ethics complaints? Handled. Questions? Ignored. Accountability? Optional. Welcome to Copville—where if you’re high enough up, the ethics commission isn’t oversight… it’s protection. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphon...

In this episode we break down the accusations made by Danielle Cortes against deputies Michael Dilks and Joanna Fricke. Cortes claimed the deputies planted drugs on her — a serious allegation that quickly spread and had people ready to grab their pitchforks before anyone bothered to watch the actual footage. Then the bodycam video came out. And body cameras have a funny way of ruining a good story...

In this episode, we break down the growing disconnect between leadership and the rank-and-file. While deputies struggle to get basic training approved, fight for time off, and deal with staffing shortages, Sheriff Eric Flowers appears to be living large on the taxpayers’ dime. From agency perks to questionable spending priorities, the conversation centers on a simple question: who is the system re...

Steven Coleman brings more than two decades of real-world law enforcement experience, serving 22 years full-time and one year as a reserve officer. His career began with the Oakland City Police Department, continued at the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, and ultimately concluded at the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office. Steven spent six years on patrol and K-9 before dedicating 15 years to na...

He’s not just driving a patrol car. He’s driving it on your dime. Captain Cliff Labbe has turned his agency vehicle into a personal luxury—concert runs, airport trips, school drop-offs, and private off-duty appearances—all fueled by a taxpayer-funded gas card. The badge doesn’t come with a personal chauffeur, but somewhere along the line, the line between public service and personal privilege disa...