Seminole County’s Behavioral Services Unit reaching roots of crisis calls, getting people help
What else is our law enforcement doing to help those in mental health crisis, keep them out of jail and prevent violence?
Insider extra: Hear from Brevard investigator working to recover money from crypto scams
It’s a mind-boggling, eye-opening story involving your friends and neighbors losing millions of dollars and an investigator who got much of it back.
Fastest-growing fraud: Bitcoin scams; 100+ victims in Brevard County
It’s a mind-boggling, eye-opening story involving your friends and neighbors losing millions of dollars and an investigator who got much of it back.
Fastest-growing fraud: Bitcoin scams; 100+ victims in Brevard County
It’s a mind-boggling, eye-opening story involving your friends and neighbors losing millions of dollars and an investigator who got much of it back.
Is anti-bullying campaign in Osceola elementary schools working? Here’s what we know
At the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez took his anti-bullying message to all elementary schools in the area for the first time ever.
‘Community Paramedicine’ saves millions of dollars in Sanford
More fire departments are cutting down on unnecessary 911 calls and trips to the hospital, and instead making patients healthier so they don’t call 911, or call 911 again and again. Taxpayers win. But the patient wins the most.
New Lake Mary police unit replaces successful mental health partnership
The long-awaited replacement for the Lake Mary Police Department’s prior ground-breaking solution for those in mental health crisis: The Behavioral Services Unit.
Insider extra: DeLand looks to end panhandling while still helping homeless
It’s a new answer to an old problem in the city of DeLand: Ending panhandling at the most dangerous intersections but at the same time addressing the problem of homelessness.
Ending panhandling and homelessness at the same time? DeLand is trying
It’s a new answer to an old problem in the city of DeLand: Ending panhandling at the most dangerous intersections but at the same time addressing the problem of homelessness.
Insider extra: Graduate of Flagler jail program now trains inmates to be electricians
It's been a year since the Flagler County Jail started a live-in addiction recovery pod inside the jail and the Sheriff's stats show the round-the-clock treatment program is resulting in far-reaching success.
‘Saved my life:’ Electrician, graduate of Flagler jail program, now teaches inmates
It's been a year since the Flagler County Jail started a live-in addiction recovery pod inside the jail and the Sheriff's stats show the round-the-clock treatment program is resulting in far-reaching success.
Protecting your tax dollars: Seminole commissioner makes changes to prevent inappropriate spending
Seminole County’s preliminary audit of Winter Springs claimed the city misspent special tax money, but it also exposed a bigger problem: There aren’t enough safeguards in place to ensure proper spending across the county.
Insider extra: Orlando detectives learn to handle sexual assault cases from rape survivor
An incredibly brave and resilient sexual assault, robbery and armed kidnapping survivor is now working alongside the UCF detective who ultimately solved her case, despite mistakes, to ensure other officers never make those same mistakes.
Rape survivor teaches Orlando detectives how to handle sexual assault cases
An incredibly brave and resilient sexual assault, robbery and armed kidnapping survivor is now working alongside the UCF detective who ultimately solved her case, despite mistakes, to ensure other officers never make those same mistakes.
Insider extra: Casselberry police exceed national average in number of female officers
The Casselberry Police Department represents the changing face of law enforcement – the department now has a staff comprised of 32%, nearly 1 in 3.
Police departments struggling to hire officers? Not in Orlando
When Orlando police Chief Eric Smith took over last year, he inherited a hiring problem: there were a hundred openings and good officers were tough to come by. But Smith largely solved that problem with some creativity and a commitment to diversity.
Insider extra: 101-year-old works as cashier at neighborhood store in Oviedo
A special story to celebrate Women’s History Month – a senior in Seminole County who has seen so much and continues to give so much, despite her age.
What can you do at 101 years old? Run a community store, take an exercise class
A special story to celebrate Women’s History Month – a senior in Seminole County who has seen so much and continues to give so much, despite her age.
Insider extra: Solution for people experiencing mental health issues in Volusia, Flagler counties
It’s a first for Volusia and Flagler counties – a new option for young adults and even teenagers who are suffering from psychosis.
Still no flashing light, guardrail at troubled 408 off-ramp, but are they the answer?
News 6 checked up on a troubled east Orange County off-ramp and discovered some of the safety measures that the county had proposed, including a flashing light, are still not there.
Insider extra: Osceola sheriff shows how deputies respond when someone goes missing
Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez said much of the search effort is “behind the scenes” and “all hands on deck,” especially when it’s a child missing.
‘Start by believing:’ UCF police sex assault detective learned from mistakes, teaches others
When it comes to sex crimes, the University of Central Florida Police Department doesn’t mince words: victims come first.
Former NFL player becomes Seminole County firefighter after tragic loss
A former New England Patriot and University of Central Florida football player is the newest member of the Seminole County Fire Department.
No changes to troubled Orange County off-ramp as driver who crashed into retention pond dies
News 6 has learned the driver who sailed off an East Orange County off-ramp and landed in a retention pond on Alafaya Trail has now died.
1st Black woman to serve as Ocala police officer invited back, gets her old badge
Monday afternoon, a Marion County trailblazer — the first-ever Black female officer hired at the Ocala Police Department more than a half-century ago — was honored.
Flashing lights, possibly a guardrail coming to troubled SR 408 exit
Orange County is making changes after News 6 asked about a S.R. 408 exit where two drivers have now ended up severely injured, one of them dying.
UCF trains students to recognize an overdose, act to help
Overdoses happen anywhere and everywhere, including college campuses. So the University of Central Florida (UCF) has started training students on what to do if they see someone overdosing to save their life.
When parents struggle with drug addiction this Central Florida charity steps in to help children
Often so much attention is focused on the people who are struggling with addiction and so little on the children who are affected when their parents get involved with drugs.
Young adults with special needs meet their new employers at Maitland event
Inside the auditorium at the Jewish Community Center in Maitland, nine young adults with special needs sat alongside their parents, scattered at tables around the room.
UCF police department adds mental health counselor to help officers with students in crisis
It's a first for the police department at the University of Central Florida: a full-time, in-house mental health counselor to assist officers when they're dealing with students in crisis.
Former inmates, lifelong addicts stay sober for 1st time thanks to SMART program at Flagler jail
The many faces of 59-year-old Billy Doran are posted on the Volusia County Jail's website - the mugshots of his many arrests over the years, mostly for theft, mostly related to drugs. He's been arrested as many as 60 times in Volusia County and sent to prison seven times.
Seminole County nonprofit keeps families together, out of foster care 100% of the time
Nonprofit Healthy Families Seminole at the Children’s Home Society (CHS) of Florida, which works to keep families together and children out of foster care, has seen a 100% success rate this year.
Central Florida hospitals seeing more teen suicide attempts than ever, says mental health experts
With children back in school, teachers are noticing the long-term effects of the pandemic: more children are dealing with emotional issues, according to the Mental Health Association of Central Florida.
After another police suicide, Osceola sheriff’s office hires in-house counselor
After yet another police suicide in Central Florida, deputies have come up with a solution: the Osceola County Sheriff's Office has finally hired a full-time in-house mental health expert.
Remote counselors give Volusia deputies more options when responding to mental health calls
For the past 12 months, Volusia County Sheriff's deputies responding to sensitive calls dealing with people in mental health crises have had another option, besides taking someone to the hospital for their own safety under the Baker Act.
UCF teaches parents how to play with their children, why it’s so important
University of Central Florida researchers have discovered one of the simplest stress relievers for families, now and during the height of the pandemic, is plain old child’s play.
Amazon hires graduates from Jewish Federation’s program for young adults with disabilities
For more than a decade, the Jewish Federation has been teaching adults with special needs, at no cost to them, how to get jobs and then arranging jobs.
Osceola school resource officers receive most extensive active-shooter training ever
Annual retraining this summer for Osceola County Sheriff’s Office SROs was longer and more intensive than ever before, according to Sheriff Marcos Lopez.
A 1st for Osceola County: Anti-bullying campaign comes to elementary schools
As Osceola County heads back-to-school, for the first time ever, the youngest students will be getting life lessons on how to deal with bullying directly from deputies.
Patrol cars stationed at new I-4 Express lane ramps cost nearly $1M
When the I-4 Express lanes first opened five months ago, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) started paying local law enforcement to stand guard at all direct-connect off-ramps.
AAPI liaisons with sheriff’s office bring comfort, support after racist tirade at Orlando restaurant
After a racist tirade against the owners of an Orlando Asian-American restaurant went viral a couple of weeks ago, the Central Florida community responded with a wave of support, including from a brand new squad at the Orange County Sheriff's Office created to give Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders a voice.
UCF distributes Narcan for free to students, staff to prevent opioid overdoses
The University of Central Florida is the first in Central Florida, and the first public university in the state, to give students and staff the power to save their own lives if they’re overdosing.
Osceola Sheriff’s Office upgrades Real-Time Crime Center to protect schools
Sheriff Marcos Lopez said the Real-Time Crime Center and the ongoing effort to add additional school camera feeds means better protection.
Sanford fire department lowers unnecessary 911 calls with community paramedicine, helps patients
Firefighter paramedics of course treat every 911 call as an emergency, but not every call is an emergency, according to Sanford Medical & EMS Director Dr. Todd Husty.
UCF police department to acquire college-specific accreditation
For the first time ever, the University of Central Florida's police department is seeking an additional, significant accreditation only for colleges and universities.
‘Game-changer:’ Anonymous tip-reporting website, app addresses student concerns
Barb Bergin, executive director of Central Florida’s Crimeline, said a new reporting tool entirely for students is getting results together more than ever, especially for children in mental health crisis.
Tattoos? No problem. Orlando police welcomes you to apply
By all accounts, James Baker — instantly recognizable by his hulking 6 feet, 5 inches frame, bulging biceps and tattoo-covered arms — is an effective police officer within the Orlando Police Department’s Neighborhood Patrol Unit (NPU).
Flagler County jail program helps inmates dealing with addiction, mental health issues
After receiving a federal grant for almost $600,000, the Flagler County sheriff converted two sections of the jail to begin helping inmates with their addiction - if they agree to take the help.
Volusia County sheriff set to open new Juvenile Assessment Center for teens in trouble
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood’s answer to fixing a major problem in his county—taking care of teens in trouble and keeping them off a path to prison—is a long-needed Juvenile Assessment Center.
How do Seminole County deputies handle troublemakers in school? Juvenile intervention officers
Every week, John Girard and his fellow intervention officers (who are civilians, not deputies) meet with six Markham Woods students that the school identified as high-risk for dropping out or getting kicked out.
Detective: UCF voyeur arrested after recording women in bathroom would ‘still be doing it’ at colleges across the country
Detectives at colleges across the country are building their cases against a 24-year-old accused of recording women in bathrooms stalls at several different schools, thanks to the University of Central Florida Police Department.
As first responder suicides rise, Florida task force calls for changes in training, help availability
The number of first responders committing suicide continues to rise, according to leaders of the first comprehensive statewide task force representing firefighters, EMS, law enforcement, corrections, training and behavioral health services across Florida.
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office hiring ride-along counselors specifically for youth
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has received $1.2 million of federal grant money to hire two counselors for the next four years specifically for young people 25 and under.
Celebrating Women’s History Month: Marion County pastor hired as Ocala police’s 1st Black female officer in 1969
Pastor Alice Mae Faison became the department’s first Black female police officer at a time of discrimination and divide in this country.
Police chief, sheriff discuss changes after Trayvon Martin and George Floyd cases
In the decade since Trayvon Martin was killed in Sanford, and especially in the last couple of years since George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis, policing has rapidly evolved — perhaps the most ever in a short amount of time.
Daytona Beach police among first agencies to use livestreaming body cameras
The Daytona Beach Police Department is among the first law enforcement agencies in Florida to have live-streaming-capable body-worn cameras.
A race against the clock: Orlando overdose detectives get time back
Since the Orlando Police Department's Overdose Unit was created a little more than a year ago, it has made almost a hundred arrests of drug dealers who've sold deadly and potentially deadly doses of opioids.
Ocala apartment complex houses homeless women with children entirely free
Project Hope was founded in Ocala more than a decade ago specifically for homeless women with children because there was nowhere for those women to turn.
Orlando police school resource officers had zero use of force incidents on students in 2021
2021 was one of the most successful years ever for Orlando Police Department school resource officers.
![New signs at UCF parking garage help remind students in crisis there is help](https://www.clickorlando.com/resizer/SqQzztGjygn_nMvI0poD4N4kV7A=/800x450/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/YU3DKIV5WJFOBPT6U5VQGQBTOQ.png)
New signs at UCF parking garage help remind students in crisis there is help
When University of Central Florida police get a call from a suicidal student, it’s often from the same place: the top of a UCF parking garage.
![Volusia County sheriff creates his own police academy to get the ‘best’ deputies](https://www.clickorlando.com/resizer/ELnEJb39ut2FNkMuruNl_9gw5RE=/800x450/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/09-29-2021/t_0ea7bacaee234a3a921a4a30dde4946d_name_image.jpg)
Volusia County sheriff creates his own police academy to get the ‘best’ deputies
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood was searching for a way to find better recruits and make better cops so he created the first police academy in Central Florida to be entirely run by a local sheriff’s office.
![Osceola County sheriff uses social media to connect with growing Hispanic community](https://www.clickorlando.com/resizer/D1dwB1CG7nsuw9GJndFdcovKBZQ=/800x450/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/09-22-2021/t_6dfe93667c984b658766982e4856e08b_name_image.jpg)
Osceola County sheriff uses social media to connect with growing Hispanic community
For Osceola County's first Hispanic Sheriff Marcos Lopez, it's important for him to speak to his county the way a large and growing portion speaks to him -- in Spanish.
![Lake Mary police partnership keeps mentally ill out of ERs, away from police confrontations](https://www.clickorlando.com/resizer/tdRUBv5SfM9iuDcWbAbz3YTwDbo=/800x450/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/09-08-2021/t_d46ad0dbeff54f889bea33a2324659dd_name_image.jpg)
Lake Mary police partnership keeps mentally ill out of ERs, away from police confrontations
Baker-Acting is not always the most effective treatment for someone in a mental health crisis, and an Emergency Room is also not the most effective treatment location.
![Bethune students guaranteed positions at Florida’s Department of Juvenile Justice](https://www.clickorlando.com/resizer/lcz108Q5nQBrkQp2dT3tafk4w-M=/800x450/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/08-18-2021/t_392f46bd998e40f59263d3d1f774ef6b_name_image.jpg)
Bethune students guaranteed positions at Florida’s Department of Juvenile Justice
Students at Bethune Cookman University in Daytona Beach headed back to class with a new opportunity: A chance to get results for Central Florida's troubled teens.
Sheriff’s office pulls resource officers, replaces them with guardians at Osceola charter schools
Osceola County is taking SROs out of charter schools and replacing them with guardians, certified security guards trained by the sheriff’s office.
![Daytona Beach police still committed to community after officer shot in head](https://www.clickorlando.com/resizer/G96oYvbpv_fYhFnBYUEeTipsby8=/800x450/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/07-28-2021/t_d75ce799b9e24224820af956fb9fce80_name_image.jpg)
Daytona Beach police still committed to community after officer shot in head
News 6 reported on Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young's efforts to “change the narrative” when he first took over at the end of 2020 and had to combat a rash of shooting violence.
![Can tracking officers’ data lead to better policing? This sergeant turned software developer thinks it can](https://www.clickorlando.com/resizer/dlhIdZWVc6xFf36leASRYqjkHn0=/800x450/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/07-14-2021/t_b10355ac0c6f48e0a33a72da366951be_name_image.jpg)
Can tracking officers’ data lead to better policing? This sergeant turned software developer thinks it can
Bryan Selzer, a retired Jacksonville Sheriff’s sergeant, believes that tracking an officer’s actions and complaints is the answer to better policing.
![Tourist Policing Unit polices neighborhoods, not tourist areas](https://www.clickorlando.com/resizer/ejldQaYe-M4M31eR_paLLOYPPd0=/800x450/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65):fill(FFF)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/07-07-2021/t_0a5ce45e9a0242c9be533ecdd96ba741_name_image.jpg)
Tourist Policing Unit polices neighborhoods, not tourist areas
The Tourist Policing Unit at the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office is dedicated to protecting the most precious piece of Central Florida’s economy: tourism, as the eponymous name implies.
![UCF police recruits visit Black history museum for training](https://www.clickorlando.com/resizer/TF_oD2Vh9bJm45RwuMTsARXe2tY=/800x450/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65):fill(FFF)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/06-30-2021/t_c9eda06c3efe4dc7afc46c94e5ff9e12_name_image.jpg)
UCF police recruits visit Black history museum for training
As part of field training at the University of Central Florida Police Department, all recruits are now required to visit the Wells’ Built Museum of African American History and Culture.