Osceola County Sheriff's Office Explained

Agencyname:	Osceola County Sheriff's Office
Abbreviation:	OCSO
Country:	United States of America
Countryabbr:	USA
Map:	Map of Florida highlighting Osceola County.svg
Divtype:	State
Divname:	Florida
Subdivtype:	County (United States)
Subdivname:	Osceola County
Sizearea:	1506.35sqmi
Sizepopulation:	268,685
Police:	Yes
Local:	Yes
Headquarters:	Kissimmee, Florida
Sworn:	500+
Chief1name:	Marco R. Lopez
Chief1position:	Sheriff
Chief2name:	Dan Weis
Chief2position:	Chief Deputy
Chief3name:	Nirva Rodriguez
Chief3position:	Executive Director
Chief4name:	Kevin Wilkinson
Chief4position:	Major over Administrative Bureau
Chief5name:	Fred Hinderman
Chief5position:	Major over Criminal Investigations Bureau
Chief6name:	Robbie Alderman
Chief6position:	Major over Patrol

The Osceola County Sheriff's Office is the largest and chief law enforcement agency in Osceola County, Florida, located in Kissimmee. Per the State of Florida Constitution, the Sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer of the county's incorporated and unincorporated areas. The current Sheriff is Marcos R. Lopez, the 20th sheriff of the county and the first Hispanic to serve as a Sheriff. The agency has over 700 employees and serves a population of 390,341. Osceola County deputies patrol 1506sqmi which include Kissimmee, St. Cloud, Celebration, and Poinciana as well as several other unincorporated communities.

History

The Osceola County Sheriff's Office has been a CFA-accredited law enforcement agency since 1999.^[1]

In 2021, a video went viral of a deputy slamming a student to the ground.^[2]

In February 2022, the office charged one of its deputies with culpable negligence after he tased a suspect at a gas station and lit spilled gasoline, the subject, and himself on fire.^[3] In April, two deputies killed a man and injured two others in a Target parking lot: they were suspected of shoplifting Pokemon cards and pizza.^[4] Sheriff Lopez asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate the incident,^[5] but later said he did not intend to make changes to the department's tactics.^[6]

Divisions

Enforcement Bureau

• Uniform Patrol
• Aviation Unit
• Mounted Patrol Unit
• HIDTA Task Force
• IRS Task Force
• FBI-JTTF

Criminal Investigations Division

• East Property Crimes
• West Property Crimes
• Economic Crimes
• Persons Crimes
• Sex Crimes/Child Abuse
• Crime Analysis/Intelligence
• Robbery
• Violent Crimes
• Evidence Unit
• Forensics

Specialty Units

• SWAT
• Emergency Response Team
• Agriculture/Marine
• Community Response Team
• K-9 Unit
• Tourism Policing Unit
• Traffic/DUI Unit
• Gang Unit
• N.E.T.
• O.C.I.B.

Administrative Bureau

• Civilian Volunteers
• Civil Process
• Communications
• Community Services
• Court Services
• Crime Prevention
• Fleet Maintenance
• Records
• Information Management
• Quality Assurance and Accreditation
• Research and Development
• School Resource
• Training
• Warrants
• K9-Unit

External links

• Osceola County Sheriff's Office (Official site)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Law Enforcement – Florida Accreditation . 2024-05-26 . flaccreditation.org.
2. Web site: 2021-01-27 . Osceola Sheriff investigating a video showing deputy slams Liberty High School student to ground. The School Resource Officer involved in the incident has been acquitted of criminal charges.. 2022-11-12 . WFTV . en.
3. Web site: Galbraith . Alex . Osceola County Sheriff's Office announces charges for deputy who lit suspect, himself on fire during Wawa arrest . 2022-11-12 . Orlando Weekly . en. 2022-05-20.
4. Web site: Killing by deputies at Kissimmee Target came during shoplifting arrest, records show . 2022-11-12 . Orlando Sentinel. Amanda. Rabines. Cristóbal. Reyes. 2022-04-28.
5. Web site: Lawyers dispute Osceola Sheriff's account of deadly shooting . 2022-11-12 . www.mynews13.com . en. Stephanie. Bechara. 2022-05-10.
6. Web site: Osceola County sheriff not looking to change tactics amid string of violent arrests . 2022-11-12 . Orlando Sentinel. Amanda. Rabines. 2022-06-22.