Cape CopCast
by Cape Coral Police Department
Welcome to the "Cape CopCast," the official podcast of the Cape Coral Police Department. Hosted by Officer Steven Klakowicz, and Lisa Greenberg from our Public Affairs team, this podcast dives into the heart of Cape Coral PD's public safety, community initiatives, and the inner workings of our police department. Each episode brings you insightful discussions, interviews with key community figures, and expert advice on safety.
Episodes
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The Reality of Police Defensive Tactics with Detective Lucas Smoker and Jay Wadsworth
In this episode of the Cape CopCast, we sit down with Detective Lucas Smoker, Cape Coral Police Department's Defensive Tactics Lead Instructor, and Jay Wadsworth of Effective Fitness Combatives to talk about what officers actually use most on the street and why so many agencies still under-train...
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Chief's Chat #50: The Power of Connection, From Pink Badges to Retail Theft
A pink badge can do more than show support, it can change the next few seconds of a high-stress call. In this episode of Cape CopCast 'Chief's Chat,' we sit down with Cape Coral Police Chief Sizemore to talk about why officers wear pink badges during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, how those…
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Chief’s Chat #49: The Conversation Every Parent Should Have With Their Kids & Honoring Forensics and Crime Analysts
You can have the best tools in the world and still miss the truth if you don’t have the right people using them the right way. In this episode of Cape CopCast 'Chief's Chat,' we talk through what Forensics Week really means at the Cape Coral Police Department, and why forensic specialists are…
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A Fly-Along With Aviation Officer Charles Proudfit
You can read headlines about a “police chopper,” but you don’t really understand the job until you hear it from the air. In this episode of the Cape CopCast, we strapped in for a fly-along over Cape Coral with Aviation Officer Charles Proudfit to talk through what actually happens during a real...
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Chief's Chat #48: Why Chief Sizemore is Discontinuing the Use of ALPR Technology
Chief Anthony Sizemore is using this episode of the Cape CopCast 'Chief's Chat' to explain his recent decision to discontinue automated license plate reader (ALPR) use (for now), even after years of responsible operation and real investigative wins. We lay out what this decision is not: it’s not…
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Chief's Chat #47: The Story Behind the Awards
In this episode of the Cape CopCast 'Chief's Chat,' we talk to Chief Sizemore about a topic we love sharing but rarely explain fully: our awards process. We break down how nominations actually happen, why most recognition starts with peers and frontline supervisors, and how our culture has…
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Chief's Chat #46: Community Policing and De-escalation in Action
A “safe public meetup” at a local restaurant still turned into a violent robbery, and the way it got solved says a lot about what community policing really means. Public Affairs Officer Lisa Greenberg and our new co-host, Officer Steven Klakowicz, asit down with Chief Anthony Sizemore to dig into...
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Introducing our new Public Affairs Officer!
Public Affairs at a police department looks simple from the outside until you see the moving parts up close. We sit down with Officer Steven Klakowicz as he steps into the Public Affairs Officer role, and we get honest about what the job really is: social media management, media relations…
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Chief's Chat #45: The Death of Rose Marie Gayhart with Det. Mike Lasalandra
A skull spotted by a kayaker in Cape Coral in 2024 became the answer to a missing persons case from 1985. Chief Anthony Sizemore hosts a special Chief Chat with Violent Crimes Detective Mike Lasalandra to explain what the community saw near Kismet Parkway and why that forensic excavation…
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Keeping Kids Safe Online with SVU Detectives Trish Gould & Hailey DiGiovanni
A single DM can turn into a case file, and most families never see it coming. We sit down with Cape Coral Police Department Special Victims Unit Detectives Trish Gould and Hailey DiGiovanni to talk plainly about internet crimes against children, what they’re seeing right now, and why the digital...
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Chief's Chat #44: What Actually Works to Reduce Juvenile Crime?
Summer crime doesn’t have to be a rerun. We sit down with Chief Sizemore to unpack what we’re actually seeing with juvenile vehicle burglaries and car hopping, and how targeted work behind the scenes is changing the numbers in Cape Coral. If you’ve ever wondered whether prevention can be more…
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Chief's Chat #43: 75% Increase in Calls and the Truth About Flock Cameras
A 75% year-over-year jump in patrol calls for service is not a headline that should fade in a day, especially when staffing doesn’t rise at the same pace. In this episode of the Cape CopCast, we sit down with Chief Anthony Sizemore to explain what the second-quarter 2026 numbers actually mean on...
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Chief's Chat #42: How Cape Coral SROs Stay Busy During Summer ft. Sgt. Joe Zalenski
Summer looks calm from the outside, but for School Resource Officers in Cape Coral, the work just changes lanes. We sit down with Chief Anthony Sizemore and Sgt. Joe Zalenski to answer a question we hear often: what do SROs do during the summer? The truth is there’s no “off season” when your job…
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The K9 Team Behind School Safety: Officer Matt Mills & Aramis
A Belgian Malinois from the Czech Republic walks into a school and somehow manages to be both a laser-focused narcotics detection dog and the sweetest, most approachable face of school safety. That’s K9 Aramis, and we’re joined by his handler, Officer Matt Mills, to explain how a K9 team actually...
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Chief's Chat #41: How CCPD is already prepared for Hurricane Season
In this episode of the Cape CopCast 'Chief's Chat,' we sit down with Chief Sizemore to get real about hurricane preparedness in Cape Coral, from the anxiety many of us feel on June 1 to the hard-earned lessons from storms like Ian. El Nino, La Nina, projected storm counts... none of that changes...
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Chief's Chat #40: How We Use Tech & Teamwork To Stop Crime In-Progress
A Memorial Day morning can reset your sense of what “service” really means. We begin with Chief Anthony Sizemore reflecting on the Coral Ridge Memorial Day Ceremony and the way fallen heroes are remembered not just in speeches, but in the families who return every year. When the Eggers family is...
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Wellness with Peer Support Team Leader Officer Shawn Frazin
Officer wellness shows up in every call for service, every tough conversation, and every split-second decision. In this episode of the Cape CopCast, we’re joined by Officer Shawn Frazin, a longtime patrol officer who’s stepping into a major new role as our Peer Support Team Leader, to explain…
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Chief's Chat #39: National Police Week
National Police Week isn’t just a feel-good tradition for us. It’s a week that holds two truths at the same time: pride in the profession and a clear-eyed look at the sacrifice behind the badge. Hosts Lisa Greenberg and Officer Mercedes Simonds of the Public Affairs Office sit down with Chief...
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Chief's Chat #38: Faster Response Times with More Calls & the Kayla Rincon-Miller Murder Trial
In this episode of the Cape CopCast 'Chief's Chat,' we cover: The conviction in the murder of 15-year-old Kayla Rincon-Miller The arrests of 15 people in a years-long narcotics investigation by NETFORCE The latest data showing our calls for service are up, our response time is down, and our…
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Chief's Chat #37: What it Takes to Have an Award-Winning School Resource Officer Program
School safety gets talked about like it’s only locks, radios, and worst-case scenarios, but the truth is more human and more demanding. Hosts Lisa Greenberg and Officer Mercedes Simonds sit down with Chief Anthony Sizemore to unpack what makes a School Resource Officer effective when the job...
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SWAT Training, Tech, and Teamwork with Lt. Doug Coons & Sgt. Andrew Miller
In this episode of the Cape CopCast, we sit down with our SWAT Commander, Lt. Doug Coons, and Sniper Team Leader, Sgt. Andrew Miller, to map the real playbook: how a part-time team can deliver full-time readiness, how selection favors calm leaders over just muscles, and what it takes to manage...
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Chief's Chat #36: Celebrating our Dispatchers & a New Mobile Command Vehicle
The calmest voice in the worst moment is often a 911 dispatcher, and we want to give that work the spotlight it deserves. Hosts Lisa Greenberg and Officer Mercedes Simonds sit down with Chief Anthony Sizemore for an episode of Cape CopCast 'Chief's Chat.' We’re celebrating National Public Safety...
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Chief's Chat #35: Be Aware, Stay Alive: A Teen’s Voice After a Life-Changing Crash
A teenage girl watches her world change dramatically when her close friend is hit by a car while crossing the street. N'Evaeh's friend Stella is making a recovery, but the fear and helplessness she faced drove her to do something rare: N'Evaeh put the pain into words, and sent a raw, thoughtful...
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Chief's Chat #34: First Responders Wellness Week
Wellness in policing isn’t soft. It’s strategy, it’s safety, and it changes what the public gets on the other side of the counter or car door. We sit down with Chief Sizemore to talk about what First Responders Wellness Week looks like at the Cape Coral Police Department and why we’re treating...
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Chaplain Neace Retires After a Decade Beside the Badge
In this episode of the Cape CopCast, we sit down with Chaplain Dr. Don Neace as he closes a 50-year chapter of ministry—and a decade walking beside Cape Coral Police and Fire—to share what truly holds first responders together when the worst calls come. Chaplain Neace's presence has spanned...
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Heart Under Pressure: Stress & Heart Health with Social Worker Tara Moser
In this BONUS episode of the Cape CopCast, we sit down with Tara Moser, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, to talk about the stresses of law enforcement in honor of Heart Health Awareness Month(s), observed February-April. Not only is she involved in mental health work, but she also has her own...
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Chief's Chat #33: The Jason Verdow Case & Rethinking Stranger Danger
In this episode of the Cape CopCast 'Chief’s Chat,' we're talking about a horrific murder case that rocked Cape Coral in the '70s and still shapes our community today. It's been 50 years since nine-year-old Jason Verdow was lured at his bus stop, kidnapped, assaulted, and murdered in 1976. It's a...
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Chief's Chat #32: Two DUI Cases. One Clear Message.
This week, we had two tragic DUI cases: one a fatal crash, and another stopped by a brave 13-year-old who called 911. In this episode of the Cape CopCast 'Chief's Chat,' we walk through what happened, why impaired driving is never an accident, and how early planning—rideshare, a designated…
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Chief's Chat #31: Staffing Needs to Grow with Our City
Let’s set the record straight. In this episode of the Cape CopCast 'Chief's Chat,' we break down how our department can be fully staffed today and still need to grow to protect response times and service quality tomorrow. Using independent urban growth modeling and clear performance metrics, we...
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From Dispatch to the Street with Public Service Aide Jennifer Wein
In this episode of the Cape CopCast, we pull back the curtain on the quieter machinery that keeps a city safe: Public Service Aides who investigate crashes, document burglaries, gather fingerprints, and build the reports that solve everyday problems. Jennifer Wein, a 14-year Cape Coral PD...
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A Day on Patrol with Sgt. Morgan Mills & Officer Steven Klakowicz
In this episode of the Cape CopCast, we invited Sergeant Morgan Mills and Officer Steven Klackowicz to pull back the curtain on day shift patrol in Cape Coral—where a quiet morning can turn into a hot call in seconds, and a “slow” precinct like the Northwest becomes a laboratory for proactive...
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Chief's Chat #30: Why We're Adding a Third Deputy Chief, Trespass Law, and Teen E-Bike Behavior
In this episode of the Cape CopCast 'Chief's Chat,' Chief Sizemore explains how we’re scaling the department to match the city’s rapid growth. Over five years, we’ve onboarded hundreds and promoted 70 people, pushing the limits of span of control. To maintain quality, accountability, and…
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Chief's Chat #29: Update on Armed Robbery Investigation & Project 35
A jewelry store robbery, a spouse watching a live surveillance feed, and a suspect arrested across the state before the day was over—this is what happens when real law enforcement partnerships are built long before a crisis. In this episode of the Cape CopCast 'Chief's Chat,' we pull back the...
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How Detectives Track Thieves & Return Your Stuff with Property Crimes Sgt. Jeremy Niland
Ever wonder why so many vehicle burglaries happen quietly, in minutes, and often on the same street? On this episode of the Cape CopCast, we sit down with Property Crimes Unit Sergeant Jeremy Niland to map the patterns behind vehicle break-ins, stolen cars, and retail theft, and the small,...
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Chief's Chat #28: A Parent's Guide To E-Bikes, Scooters, And Safe Streets
In this week's episode of the Cape CopCast 'Chief's Chat,' we dive into the surge of juveniles on e-bikes, scooters, and even dirt bikes showing up on our streets, and we get real about what’s fun, what’s legal, and what’s flat-out dangerous. From kids riding three-abreast and blocking traffic…
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Faith Behind the Badge: A Chaplain's Role in Law Enforcement with Dennis Gingerich
Behind every strong police department stands a support system that cares for those who protect and serve. For Cape Coral Police Department, that backbone includes our Chaplaincy program and Lead Chaplain Dennis Gingerich. Gingerich has dedicated nearly three decades to supporting Cape Coral…
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Chief’s Chat #27: Working Together to Stay Florida’s Second Safest City
A safety ranking means little if it doesn’t match how people actually feel while living their lives. We unpack Cape Coral’s recognition as one of Florida’s safest cities by focusing on the daily experience of residents: running errands without fear, walking to the car without worry, and raising...
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Inside a Crash Investigation with Traffic Homicide Investigators Schwigk & Leonard
What happens after a serious, or even deadly crash? How do investigators determine who's at fault, what caused the tragedy, and whether criminal charges should be filed? In this episode of the Cape CopCast, Cape Coral Police Department Traffic Homicide Investigators George Schwigk and Stephen...
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Chief's Chat #26: Why Embracing AI Gives Communities Faster, Safer Policing
What if the camera on an officer’s chest could listen, watch, and turn a call or scene scene into a clean first draft of the report before anyone sits down at a keyboard? We dig into the real-world ways AI is changing police work in Cape Coral—speeding up documentation, meeting urgent NCIC...
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Chief's Chat #25: Next-Level Policing Starts with You (Join the Team!)
Think of a police department that treats excellence like a system, not a slogan—where performance, pay, wellness, and readiness all move together. We’re nearly fully staffed, crime is down double digits, and our response times are trending in the right direction. Now we’re aiming higher, inviting...
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Bridging Barriers: Bilingual Policing with Chief Sizemore, Officer Prieto & Officer Rodriguez (in Español AND English)
Language can be the difference between getting help in a crisis or suffering in silence. It's Hispanic Heritage month, and in this special edition of 'Chiefs Chat' on the Cape CopCast, Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore sits down with Officer Carlos Prieto and Officer Amanda Rodriguez to...
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Chief's Chat #24: Inside CCPD's Promotional Process
What does it really take to become a police leader? In this episode of the Cape CopCast 'Chief's Chat,' we pull back the curtain on the Cape Coral Police Department's comprehensive promotional process that recently elevated eleven officers to new leadership positions as sergeants and lieutenants....
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Spectrum Alert for People with Autism ft. Family Initiative
When a child with autism wanders away from safety, every second counts. Now, thanks to Florida's new Spectrum Alert system, there's a structured response that could save lives. In this episode of the Cape CopCast, the Cape Coral Police Department welcomes Family Initiative Vice President Anjali…
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Chief's Chat #23: Building a Safer Cape Coral: Crime Stats & Accreditation Success
Crime is down 28% in Cape Coral, and in this episode of the Cape CopCast 'Chief's Chat,' we're breaking down exactly how it happened. Despite our growing population and increasing calls for service, we've achieved remarkable reductions across both violent and property crime categories while...
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Chief's Chat #22: A Reintroduction to RedSpeed School Zone Cameras
School is almost back in session and the RedSpeed school zone cameras will be rolling! Join hosts Lisa Greenberg and Officer Mercedes Simonds as they welcome Chief Sizemore for a straightforward conversation about the RedSpeed school zone cameras returning on August 11th. Think of this as your...
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The Roadmap from Recruit to Officer with FTO Sgt. Gerry Buonocore
FTO Coordinator Sergeant Gerry Buonocore joins the Cape CopCast to take us behind the scenes of the Cape Coral Police Department's comprehensive training program, revealing the journey from recruit to fully-qualified officer. With eleven years on SWAT, experience as an undercover Narcotics...
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Honor Guard: The Ceremonial Side of Law Enforcement with Sgt. Zalenski & Officer Klakowicz
The Cape Coral Police Department's Honor Guard stands as the living embodiment of law enforcement tradition and respect. Sergeant Joe Zalenski and Officer Steven Klakowicz pull back the curtain on this specialized unit in this episode of the Cape CopCast. Described as wearing "the tuxedo of…
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Chief's Chat #21: The Dispatch Pay Raise & Department Promotions
When it comes to building and maintaining an exceptional police force, the details matter. Cape Coral Police Department has just scored a major victory for its Telecommunications team by securing competitive pay for dispatchers - the culmination of a years-long effort to properly value these...
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Chief's Chat #20: Creating a Culture of Department Wellness
What happens when the people who respond to everyone else's worst moments need help themselves? In this episode of Cape CopCast 'Chief's Chat,' Chief Anthony Sizemore brings us inside the cultural transformation at Cape Coral Police Department, where officer wellness has evolved from a taboo…
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Property Crimes, Honor Guard, and the Joke of the Day with Detective Jenna Newton
The latest episode of the Cape Copcast welcomes Property Crimes Unit Detective Jenna Newton, who takes listeners on an eye-opening journey from the high-crime streets of Las Vegas to the canals of Cape Coral. Her story shows the contrasts between policing environments—trading two robberies per...
About this show
Welcome to the "Cape CopCast," the official podcast of the Cape Coral Police Department.
Hosted by Officer Steven Klakowicz, and Lisa Greenberg from our Public Affairs team, this podcast dives into the heart of Cape Coral PD's public safety, community initiatives, and the inner workings of our police department. Each episode brings you insightful discussions, interviews with key community figures, and expert advice on safety.
Hosted by
Cape Coral Police Department
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