Behind the Star

About Behind the Star

Behind the Star is the official podcast of the Orange County Sheriff's Office, the largest law enforcement agency in Central Florida. From forensics to dispatch to the deputies on patrol, we share stories and talk to the brave men and women of law enforcement.

Publisher

Orange County Sheriff's Office

Category

government · true crime

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

26 Jun 2019

Latest episode

4 Dec 2025

Latest episodes

11 of 84 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   4 Dec 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Turning Drug Dealers' Money Into Crime Prevention

   Director of Strategic Communications Michelle Guido joins the podcast to talk about a program that has taken on real importance at the Orange County Sheriff's Office. The Community Crime Prevention Awards use seized drug money to support groups that give young people guidance and improve safety in neighborhoods. Michelle explains how the idea started and how it grew into a reliable source of support for local organizations. She also walks through how applications are reviewed and why this program has become a steady point of connection between the agency and the community. 0:00 – How the Community Crime Prevention Awards began 1:12 – What the Law Enforcement Trust Fund is and how seized money can be used 2:07 – Opening the program to smaller, lesser-known organizations 2:30 – First-year launch and early success 3:25 – Growth over five years and approaching $1 million given back 4:20 – Who can apply and what types of programs align with crime prevention 5:45 – Why turning drug money into community support matters 6:55 – Award amounts, vetting, and how recipients are selected 8:18 – Common mistakes and applications that don't qualify 9:13 – Examples of funded programs and success stories 15:25 – How far the funding can go for the right groups 16:43 – Annual award event and building relationships with recipients 17:03 – Tips for first-time applicants and what criteria matter most 20:23 – What the money can and cannot pay for 21:35 – Why the program continues to grow and evolve 22:51 – Deadline, approval process, and when awards are announced 24:57 – Final thoughts and where to apply

2. 

   14 Nov 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Rooted in Resilience: Deputy Romaine Campbell

   Deputy Romaine Campbell opens up about the loss of his young son, how that tragedy reshaped him, and the long, uneven process of finding purpose again. He talks about the job, the pain he tried to outrun, the help he finally accepted, and the work he's doing today to support others walking through their own darkness. 0:00 – Getting into law enforcement 2:40 – The night he got the call about his son 7:55 – Working nonstop to outrun the pain 9:35 – Realizing he wasn't healed 15:11 – Getting help and starting to process everything 19:17 – Time in the courthouse and as an SRO 20:31 – Message about seeking help 23:10 – Writing his book and starting his nonprofit 25:30 – Blessings in his life now 27:09 – How he handles the long delay in the trial 29:07 – Final thoughts for listeners

3. 

   15 Jul 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Mounted Unit: Patrolling on Horseback

   In this episode of Behind the Star, we visit the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Unit to learn what it’s really like to patrol on horseback. Master Deputy Lindsay Gonzalez and Corporal Niko Velazquez share how they joined the mounted unit, what it takes to train for the job and the strong bonds formed between deputies and their horses. Lindsay and Niko talk about patrol work, crowd control, parades, and how horses play a role in community engagement and search and rescue. They also discuss training challenges, funny stories from the field, and what it’s like when a horse retires. 0:44 – History and purpose of the unit 2:30 – Horses: how many, how they’re assigned, and their personalities 7:20 – Daily care, barn duties, and the reality of poop patrol 10:32 – Matching horses to events and understanding their temperaments 11:34 – Where the horses come from and why most are donated 15:13 – Meet James, Justice, Grace, Alessandro, Pocket Change, Remington, Pete, and Blackjack 29:14 – Retirement: when, why, and where they go 31:00 – Law enforcement uses: presence, patrol, and search and rescue 35:12 – Memorable stories, de-escalations, and the public’s love for the unit 39:20 – Weird snacks, funny habits, and diva horses 42:00 – Horses’ intelligence, emotions, and long memories

Inside a recent episode

Turning Drug Dealers' Money Into Crime Prevention

Published 4 Dec 2025 · Transcript excerpt

[…] And so youth mentoring is really important. And that has a real nexus to crime prevention in that we know that if we're giving young people something to do, as an option to doing something they shouldn't be doing, then those programs can be really successful. And there are so many people and organizations in our community working really hard in all of these endeavors that it just becomes kind of a joy for us to help them reach their missions as well. Yeah, and I think the most fun fact, aside from helping people do great work, is the fact that the money comes from drug busts. Yeah, I mean, it largely is drug money. […]

Who has been a guest on Behind the Star

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Abby Hilley
• Bill Bartlett
• Mikayla Overholtzer
• Marriah Herro

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

5,136,761

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.8 / 5

45 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 68 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

65

Social presence

0

YouTube

93

Engagement

85