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Welcome to the Polk County Sheriff's Office News Room, where the Public Information Officers (PIO's) post all of the information that they release to the news media. PIO's act as liaisons between news media organizations and the Sheriff's Office. The PIO's routinely release timely and accurate information and Crime Stoppers bulletins, and respond to routine and "breaking news" media inquiries. News releases and Crime Stoppers information can be found on this page.
PCSO's full-time Public Information Officers are Brian Bruchey, Carrie Horstman, and Alicia Manautou. The Public Information Officers can be reached by sending an e-mail collectively at PIOs@polksheriff.org.
The recent news releases sent out by the PIOs can be found here, and archived releases (older than 2017) can be found here.
Mar 3, 2022
Two clerks arrested for illegal alcohol sales at local stores
Media Contact: Brian Bruchey, PIO
The Polk County Sheriff's Office conducted an "Operation Pop-Top" on Wednesday, March 2, 2022, at four different convenience stores in the Davenport area. The ongoing operation is designed to ensure that stores within the county are compliant with state laws by not selling alcohol to anyone under 21 years of age.
Deputies are assisted in the operation by a PCSO Explorer who makes the attempt to purchase alcohol. The Explorer program is for high school students who are interested in a career in law enforcement. In this particular operation, the Explorer 18-years-old.
Of the four stores visited Wednesday, only two of them were compliant.
The clerks at the RaceTrac store at 45119 US 27 and the Circle K store at 101 East Polo Park Boulevard allowed the Explorer to purchase an alcoholic beverage and they were criminally charged.
Arrested were: 19-year old Bradley Vandereyken (Circle K) and 41-year old Kurt Radunske (RaceTrac).
The two stores which refused to sell the alcoholic beverage to the Explorer were the Love's store at 45000 US 27 and the Circle K store at 45489 US 27.
“The stores and employees who were found to be in compliance with the law are to be congratulated. Each store and the employees must ensure that they do not sell alcoholic beverages to anyone under 21 years of age. We do these operations often, and we will hold stores and employees accountable.” - Grady Judd, Sheriff.