Cape CopCast

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 it.

We dig into what a modern defensive tactics program should borrow from proven combatives: wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and carefully chosen striking that fits policing realities. An officer’s most frequently used tools aren’t necessarily the tools on their duty belt—they’re their hands, their voice, and their ability to use their body safely and effectively. Officers regularly use hands-on techniques to guide, assist, separate, or control someone, and those interactions don’t automatically mean a physical fight is taking place.

We also talk about "training to be boring." When control is deliberate and coordinated, video looks calm, injuries drop, and situations are less likely to spiral into chaos or higher levels of force.

You’ll hear how the Cape Coral Police Department builds consistency through quarterly in-service training, a dedicated mat room at our Training Center, and open mat opportunities, plus how body-worn camera footage helps instructors update curriculum based on what’s happening right now. We also talk about transparency and social media, and why departments should share more examples of effective control, not just the rare headline events.

New Outro

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 badges support Susan G. Komen, and why this symbol hits home for so many families impacted by cancer.

Then we get into the street-level psychology: de-escalation often starts with a tiny opening. We unpack how officers build rapport, and how familiar cues like appearance, shared background, or a simple badge can create a brief pause that helps people listen, breathe, and reset. That same idea connects to a bigger theme: dehumanization. From online pile-ons to polarized conflict, things get dangerous when people stop seeing each other as human, and we talk about what it takes to reverse that in real time.

We wrap with a conversation about retail theft, and the quarterly meetings we hold with retail partners and law enforcement to track trends, reduce organized retail crime, and hold offenders accountable, because “minor” theft is not victimless, it drives up prices and drains resources from emergency calls. 

New Outro

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 often the difference between a suspicion and a conviction. From lifting fingerprints in unlikely places to handling biological evidence, duct tape, and digital forensics, we break down how real investigations get built and why meticulous evidence handling and court prep matter as much as the science itself.

We also dig into the less visible side of public safety that’s changing fast: crime analysts and real-time intelligence in honor of Crime National Crime and Intelligence Analyst Appreciation Day. We explain how GIS mapping, CAD and RMS data, and live call monitoring help officers respond smarter in the moment, not hours later. The theme is consistent across the lab and the analytics unit: accredited standards, best practices, and trained professionals who can turn complex data into clear facts a jury can understand.

Then the conversation takes a turn into parenting, prompted by a real situation involving a teen and a marijuana vape. We share a practical, plain-language warning about how kids access drugs through social media, why “you don’t know what’s in it” is more than a slogan, and how counterfeit pills can be laced with fentanyl. The takeaway is a simple family rule: if you need help, call us, and never take medication from friends unless it comes from a doctor in a bottle with your name on it.

New Outro

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 patrol flight, with the helicopter noise and all.

Cape Coral is massive, and from 500 feet up you see why aviation support matters for public safety. We get into the day-to-day reality: early pre-flight inspections, checking aircraft status, scanning calls, deciding when to self-launch, and how a helicopter can cover ground that would take a whole perimeter of officers on foot. We also break down the most common call types they respond to, including missing person searches and burglary suspects, and why calling air support sooner can change the outcome.

Then we go deep on the tools and tactics: FLIR infrared cameras, night vision goggles, and how heat signatures work. We compare helicopters to drones for search operations. We also talk about how the Lee County Sheriff’s Office partnership helps make our aviation program possible, and introduce you to Officer Proudfit's Tactical Flight Officer, Deputy Andujar. You’ll hear what hurricane response looked like from the cockpit, plus the basics of altitude and speed.

New Outro

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 a rejection of ALPR technology. We explain, in plain language, what an ALPR actually captures, why searches must connect to specific cases, and how data retention becomes one of the biggest questions the public deserves clear answers on. When rumors and politics turn the volume up, long-form conversation is the best way to replace heat with facts.

We also share why statewide standardization matters for Florida law enforcement. When retention schedules, training expectations, audits, and penalties vary from city to city, the public can lose confidence in the whole system. And when one agency misuses a tool, it doesn’t stay there. We talk through cases where ALPR helped generate key leads, from high-profile investigations to everyday theft and hit-and-run reports, and why public trust is the foundation that makes any of that possible.

New Outro

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 evolved from big ceremonies to a more personal monthly format where families can be part of the moment. 

We start the podcast by talking about Primary Election week and what it looks like on the ground, why the constant flood of political texts feels so ineffective, and what our role actually is on voting day: keep people safe and let the process work. We also explain why we stay professionally apolitical on purpose, and why that boundary protects public trust no matter who is in charge locally, statewide, or nationally.

We also highlight recent life saving awards involving overdose response, suicide intervention, and a 10 month old who nearly drowned, plus a newer tactical de-escalation award that reflects modern policing and the work it takes to avoid a deadly outcome. We wrap with the part people forget: even successful rescues can be traumatic, so we talk about debriefing, decompression, and getting support after hard calls.

New Outro

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 how patrol officers working the same neighborhood every day build the kind of situational awareness that helps identify suspects fast, protect victims, and keep cases solid from the start.  

We break down the Facebook Marketplace setup, what robbery by sudden snatching looks like in real life, and why quick witness details matter. The Chief also explains constitutional policing in plain language, including how a Fourth Amendment “show-up” works. If you’ve ever wondered how police balance speed with civil rights, this conversation gives you the framework.  

Then we shift to a call that never made the news: multiple 911 reports of a man in a mental health crisis standing on a fourth-floor balcony with an AR-15 style rifle. We talk through modern police training since Columbine, de-escalation tactics, evacuations, shields, and how drones and a real-time crime center provide intelligence without forcing a dangerous confrontation. 

New Outro

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, internal coordination, stats and reports, awards tracking, podcast production, and storytelling. Officer Klakowicz will be replacing Officer Mercedes Simonds in the Public Affairs Office and will take over as host of the Cape CopCast with Lisa Greenberg.

We also talk about what changes when you come from patrol into an office role, and why that transition can be exciting instead of limiting. Public Affairs lets us create work, get out with units, and highlight the parts of policing most people never see. That matters for community trust, but it also matters for recruitment, because applicants and laterals may judge a department by what they find online. When our content reflects real culture, real standards, and real people, it becomes a practical recruiting tool rather than a highlight reel.

Along the way, we dig into why long-form audio like a police podcast gives more context than short videos, and Officer Klakowicz shares what he wants to build next: bite-sized mini documentaries, more ride-alongs, and more officer spotlights that show what the job looks like day to day. We wrap with a new recurring idea, “Klak's Facts,” because sometimes a little humor and a “useless” word fact is exactly what makes public safety communications feel approachable.

New Outro

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 mattered. The scientific work takes time, and we break down the reality of medical examiner testing, DNA extraction, and why identification can’t be rushed when the goal is truth that holds up.  

Once the DNA came back, the name was Rose Marie Gayhart, a woman who moved from Western New York to Southwest Florida in the mid-80s, worked service jobs, and then vanished. We walk through the timeline: the documented relationship turmoil, the confusing early jurisdiction between New York and Florida, and the witness reports that place Rose voluntarily getting into a red pickup truck with an unknown man. We also dig into how missing person investigations worked before cameras, cell phones, and modern data sharing, and why leads often left families with nothing but questions.  

Then the case turns toward what might still be solvable today: people, places, and patterns. We discuss the Jim’s Pub sightings and a potential link to Roland Davis, later associated with violent crimes and known to frequent the same areas. Most importantly, we share what we need from the public now. If you remember a red pickup truck, a regular at Jim’s Pub, or a conversation that never sat right, your tip could matter. 

If you have any information in the death of Rose Marie Gayhart, call 23-229-4331 and reference case number 13011608.

To see our news release on this case, click here: https://capecops.com/2026/07/24/cape-coral-police-identify-remains-in-1985-missing-person-case/

New Outro

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 world moves faster than a kid’s judgment.

We get specific about how these situations start on everyday platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and even games like Roblox. We also explain the behind-the-scenes pipeline many parents don’t know exists: social platforms can flag suspected minor activity and send reports through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which then routes cyber tips to local law enforcement. If your child thinks a disappearing message means “no consequences,” this conversation is the reality check.

We also dig into "sextortion" and how it often begins with consensual sharing before threats, pressure, and fear take over, including scenarios tied to teen relationships. Then we shift to what helps: open, ongoing talks; knowing passcodes; checking devices regularly; reviewing hidden folders and recently deleted content; and using iPhone Screen Time to spot high-use apps. 

New Outro