It was not long ago that east Orange County was a quiet community known more for agriculture than the high levels of commercial and residential development that identify it today. As the community has grown and prospered, the Sheriff’s Office has also grown to ensure the quality of life of our citizens is maintained. Orange County Sheriff Jerry L. Demings Since 2003, the Sheriff’s Office has seen the calls for service in East Orange County rise by nearly 49 percent. Immediately after I became Sheriff, we opened what I would describe as our flagship sector office to serve the... Read more
Ask someone what a police officer does and they’ll probably respond “eat donuts” or “write speeding tickets.” But in truth, the job of a police officer goes far beyond these cliché images. To give the public a broader view of what law enforcement does, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) instituted the Civilian Police Academy, a free 12-week course that gives citizens a behind-the-scenes look at how the sheriff’s office operates. “Many times, at the end of the academy, attendees comment that they never realized everything the Orange County... Read more
Engineering & Computer Simulations (ECS), based in East Orlando, has become a leader in the simulation training industry, servicing multiple government agencies and creating custom training programs designed to prepare first responders for whatever situation they may find themselves in. Recently, ECS announced they were chosen to continue development of the National Guard Bureau’s Arlington Hall Arlington Hall Emergency Preparedness Trainer (AHS-EPT). AHS-EPT is a virtual simulation evacuation training environment that mirrors the real world Arlington Hall building designed so that in... Read more
Are gangs in East Orlando worse than anywhere else in Orange County? The answer may surprise you. Last year it was reported in a local publication that East Orlando had the highest concentration of gang activity in Orange County. However, David Spall, sergeant of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Gang Unit, says that statistic was taken out of context; and although the east side of Orange County may have the highest concentration of crime, but it also has the highest population. “That’s also our most populous area of the county as well, so you figure in the per capita percentages... Read more
It Takes Courage to stop the cycle of domestic violence, but the city of Orlando is stepping up to the challenge. According to a release on CityOfOrlando.net, the number of domestic violence cases climbed 26 percent from 2008 to 2011. More than 3,700 cases were reported during those years and the number of domestic violence-related homicides doubled from 2010 to 2011 alone. “Last year, Mayor Dyer realized that 40 percent of homicides in Orange County had been domestic violence related,” says Carol Wick, CEO of Harbor House, an organization that provides shelter, support and resources... Read more
