Special Operations Division
Specialized Patrol
The Agricultural Crimes Unit, the Marine Patrol Unit, the Mounted Patrol Unit, the K-9 Unit, the Reserve Unit, and the Underwater Search and Recovery Team make up the Specialized Patrol Section. The deputies and supervisors assigned to the units that make up the Specialized Patrol Section are highly trained and skilled, and they utilize specific equipment to carry out their unit’s mission within the Sheriff’s Office. All members of the Agricultural Crimes Unit, the Marine Patrol Unit, and the Mounted Patrol Unit are trained and equipped to respond to Search and Rescue missions, Missing Persons Investigations, and natural disasters. The members are deployed across Florida and the southern United States to assist in recovery operations after natural disasters.
K9 Unit
The K-9 Unit is comprised of twenty skilled deputies and supervisor who are assigned either a full service canine or a single purpose tracking canine to apprehend criminals, locate missing persons, and locate contraband. Each full service canine is trained in tracking and apprehension, while our single purpose canines (bloodhounds currently) utilize their keen since of smell to find missing persons. Each full service canine is also trained in either narcotics detection, bomb detection, or human remains.
Reserve Unit
The members of the Reserve Unit are fully sworn law enforcement officers and volunteer their time and expertise to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. The Reserve Unit consists of members of the community who also work at teachers, lawyers, college professors, business owners, aircraft mechanics, and former or retired full time law enforcement officers. The members of the Reserve Unit supplement the agency in patrol, training, recruiting, and they are deployed during special details.
Underwater Search Team
The Underwater Search and Recovery Team (USRT) is a regional asset and the members are highly trained in the area of underwater recovery. The members of the team dive in non-recreational hazardous environments utilizing hazmat dry suits and full face masks. The members of the team are called upon to search for missing persons, evidence recovery, vehicle recoveries, and body recoveries.
Marine Unit
The members of the Marine Unit focus their efforts by patrolling the over 500 lakes that are located within Orange County, Florida. They also investigate stolen vessels, stolen vessel trailers, and they investigate all vessel crashes that occur in unincorporated Orange County.
Mounted Patrol
The members of the Mounted Patrol Unit utilize horses to care out their mission by proactively patrol neighborhoods and business districts. They also can be seen at numerous community events and parades that occur each year.
Agricultural Crimes Unit
The members of Agricultural Crimes Unit investigate crimes related to animal abuse, environmental laws, hunting, fishing, and poaching violations. Utilizing airboats, the members of the Agricultural Crimes Unit also actively patrols the St. Johns River to seek out law violations and render assistance to citizens.
Narcotics Section
The agency’s Narcotics Section is tasked with investigating illicit drug complaints and vice activity to include prostitution and illegal gambling within Orange County. The section partners with local, state, and federal partners. These complaints are generated by citizens, Crimeline, and as a result of other agency investigations. The section is comprised of:
- Undercover Squads
- The West Orange Narcotics Task Force, which is comprised of personnel from the Ocoee Police Department, Apopka Police Department, Winter Garden Police Department, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. This squad focuses on illicit drug complaints within the municipalities of West Orange County.
- The Tips Squad, which focuses on citizen complaints of illicit drug activity.
- Nuisance Abatement, which focuses on assisting property and business owners in achieving safe and drug free environments.
- Overdose Investigation Squad, which focuses on investigating sources of illicit drugs that result in citizen overdose events.
- Parcel Interdiction Squad, which is comprised of personnel assigned narcotics detection dogs. This squad locates, seizes, and investigates packages of illicit drugs that have been shipped to Orange County, preventing these drugs from being distributed in our community.
- Clandestine Lab Response Team, which is responsible for investigating and dismantling illicit drug manufacturing locations. These labs often involve highly toxic and combustible chemicals.
- Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Task Force Officers, who partner with the DEA to investigate drug trafficking organizations who are responsible for trafficking illicit drugs within Orange County
- Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Task Force Officers, who partner with HSI to investigate criminal organizations that engage in Human Trafficking, illicit sales of weapons, and other contraband within Orange County.
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Task Force Officers, who partner with the IRS to investigate money laundering organizations, which are often linked to illicit drug trafficking and human trafficking organizations.
Aviation Section
The function of the Aviation Section is to provide aerial law enforcement support for incidents such as vehicle surveillance, foot pursuits, searches for criminal suspects, searches for missing or endangered individuals, providing air cover during critical incidents with the ability to provide live video microwave downlink, photo flights for investigative purposes, pre and post disaster missions, damage assessments, power and blackout assessments, environmental missions and assessments, code enforcement aerial support, search and rescue, fire spotting and other fire support, public relations and educational details, aerial security for presidential and cabinet member visits, and homeland security missions.
Traffic Section
The agency’s Traffic Enforcement Section is tasked with enforcing the state’s Uniform Traffic laws on the streets of unincorporated Orange County. As you would expect… this is a very, very busy unit. The Traffic Unit regularly conducts traffic enforcement details on county roadways with an inordinate number of traffic accidents or responds to citizen’s complaints on speeders in their neighborhoods. Deputies assigned to the Traffic Unit area also called upon to work school zones and assist with dangerous school crossings when no crossing guard is available.
- DUI Center
- Evening Traffic Unit
- Motors Unit
- Parking Enforcement Unit
- Red-Light Camera Safety Program
