Members of the SJSO Aviation Unit join Public Information Officer Taylor Levesque on Episode 5 of SJSO Unlocked!

The primary mission of the SJSO Aviation Unit is to provide support to patrol, investigations, and special teams on the ground responding to calls for service. The Aviation Unit protects the St. Johns County community from above and has an important role in helping save lives.

The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office Aviation Unit was formed in 1997, and has grown to have five pilots, three tactical flight officers (TFO), two full-time aircraft maintainers, and one part-time aircraft maintainer. They operate two Bell 407 aircrafts.

In this episode, Pilot Casey Kumar reflects on assisting with the safe landing of an aircraft in distress over Green Cove Springs in February 2025. TFO Gavin Higgins tells us about a March 3, 2025 pursuit of a South Florida kidnapping suspect through St. Johns and Putnam counties and how the Aviation Unit discovered the suspect hiding in the back of a carry-by semi truck. You'll also learn about the responsibilities of the pilot and TFO, partnerships with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, training, etc.

#TeamSJSO hopes you enjoy this episode of SJSO Unlocked, available on Spotify, Pandora, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and YouTube.

Click this link to listen: https://rss.com/podcasts/sjsounlockedpodcast/

Do you have a question for Sheriff Hardwick, SJSO personnel, or a topic you'd like us to discuss? Send us an email at unlockedpodcast@sjso.org. Thank you for your support.

"If it's too good to be true, it probably is."

On Episode 4 of SJSO Unlocked, Economic Crimes Unit Detectives Bobby Fultz and David Elliott join Public Information Officer Taylor Levesque for a discussion about scams.

Detectives Fultz and Elliott say scams are becoming more popular, and with the access of technology, more creative. In this episode, we talk about economic scams, inmate scams, bail bond scams, job scams, real estate scams, investment scams, computer pop up scams, and the latest trends to look out for.

The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office will never call and ask you for money, never ask you to provide personal identifying information over the phone, or reach out to you about an inmate. If you have doubts about who you are speaking to, call the SJSO non-emergency line (904) 824-8304 and verify before giving away personal information.

If you believe you or someone you know is a victim of a scam, please call SJSO.

We hope you enjoy this episode of SJSO Unlocked, available on Spotify, Pandora, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and YouTube.

Do you have a question for Sheriff Hardwick, SJSO personnel, or a topic you'd like us to discuss? Send us an email at unlockedpodcast@sjso.org. Thank you for your support. #teamsjso

On Episode 3 of SJSO Unlocked, Corporal Robert Hill, Deputy Nathan Lebon, and Deputy Stephanie Stuart join Public Affairs Officer Taylor Levesque for a discussion about all things K9.

The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office K9 Unit includes 14 K9 teams certified in narcotics detection, explosive odors, firearms, etc., assigned to patrol, SWAT, corrections, and the schools. In the last year, the K9 Unit has had 1,200+ deployments and 5,000+ hours of training.

In this episode, you'll learn more about our SJSO personnel and their K9 partners, recent deployments they aided in, including recent threats made to schools and businesses, missing persons searches, and violent offenders on the run.

You'll also learn more about how they train and partnerships with surrounding agencies and organizations. The SJSO K9 Unit is a big family who supports one another. But, this episode is not all about business, their friendly banter will also make you laugh.

We hope you enjoy this episode of SJSO Unlocked, available on Spotify, Pandora, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and YouTube.

Do you have a question for Sheriff Hardwick, SJSO personnel, or a topic you'd like us to discuss? Send us an email at unlockedpodcast@sjso.org. Thank you for your support. #teamsjso

On Episode 2 of SJSO Unlocked, Madison Schemitz joins Sheriff Hardwick and Lieutenant George Harrigan for a discussion on bravery and resilience. On June 3, 2023, Madison was stabbed 17 times by her ex-boyfriend at a Ponte Vedra Beach restaurant. Her mother and a bystander were also injured. The attack left Madison paralyzed, facing a life changing journey ahead. After the attack, she spent weeks in the hospital, followed by hours of physical and occupational therapy to regain her strength. Despite all odds, she walked across the stage at her high school graduation and has gotten back on the field hitting softballs again. In this episode, Madison talks about her family and friends, how their support has kept her positive, and a quote she lives by 'If you're going through hell, keep going.' Tune into this episode of SJSO Unlocked: A St. Johns County Sheriff's Office podcast.

Do you have a question for Sheriff Hardwick, SJSO personnel, or a topic you'd like us to discuss? Send us an email at unlockedpodcast@sjso.org. Thank you for your support. #teamsjso

SJSO Unlocked officially launched in December 2024. In Episode 1, Public Affairs Officer and Host Taylor Levesque sits down with Sheriff Hardwick, Kendell Hardwick, and SJSO General Services Director Tara Wildes for the first episode of SJSO Unlocked. The purpose of our podcast is to showcase the amazing and hardworking men and women at the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office. This episode dives into Sheriff Hardwick's next term as your Sheriff, his accomplishments during his first term, and goals he plans to continue to accomplish. We're talking about SJSOs new tactical BRINC Lemur 2 Drone, and how technology is used in everyday policing and saving lives. Learn more about Kendell's new project 'Diamond of Dreams' and SJSOs upcoming event, St. Johns County Fight Night on February 13, 2025. Do you have a question for Sheriff Hardwick, SJSO personnel, or a topic you'd like us to discuss? Send us an email at unlockedpodcast@sjso.org. Thank you for your support. #teamsjso