Cape CopCast

Cape Coral Police Department
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Welcome to the "Cape CopCast," the official podcast of the Cape Coral Police Department. Hosted by Officer Mercedes Simonds, 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. 

  1. 1D AGO

    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-MillerThe arrests of 15 people in a years-long narcotics investigation by NETFORCEThe latest data showing our calls for service are up, our response time is down, and our vacancy rate is the lowest it's been in yearsChief Sizemore shares what it was like sit with Kayla's family in court, and why we keep saying a guilty verdict is justice but not closure. We also discuss what it takes to build a case from the smallest starting point, including digital forensics, analytics, and a timeline strong enough to stand up in trial. We then talk about how the collaborative NETFORCE arrests underscore the real link between violent crime and narcotics trafficking across Southwest Florida, with a multi-year investigation involving fentanyl, cocaine, MDMA, THC wax, major currency seizures, and 30 firearms removed from circulation. The takeaway is simple: criminals cross borders, so effective policing has to cross them too. We close with the numbers that shape everything: calls for service are climbing fast, yet our Priority 1 response time drops below five minutes. We explain how data-driven policing, redistricting into four precincts, and smart deployment help reduce the time from ring to knock and why we still need staffing growth even with a low vacancy rate.

    27 min

  2. MAY 1

    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 requires two extremes at once: the ability to respond instantly to danger and the patience to earn trust with kids who may be meeting law enforcement for the first time. We share a story that captures the spirit of the work: Officer Syd Wilcox being surprised with a VFW 'Officer of the Year' honor and why his retirement feels so big to his school community. From there, we dig into what it takes to run an award-winning SRO program in Cape Coral: elite standards, ongoing training, campus drills, crisis intervention skills for youth, and tight partnerships with the Lee County School District and charter schools. We also explain why the assignment is specialized, sought-after, and built on continuity, so relationships can grow over years instead of resetting every year. The conversation goes deeper into the parts people rarely see: hundreds of counseling sessions, sitting in on tough meetings with students and parents, doing threat assessments, and making careful decisions that protect a campus without unnecessarily criminalizing a kid. We also highlight a standout example of trauma-informed support: SRO James Cannon helping launch parenting classes alongside school leaders and youth mental health professionals to meet real community needs.

    16 min

  3. APR 20

    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 high-risk calls without burning out the people behind the armor. From 60 callouts a year to multi-hour standoffs, they unpack the decisions that keep officers and neighbors safe. We walk through the core missions—barricades, high-risk warrants, dignitary protection, and major events—and the structure that makes them work. With 40 cross-trained members organized into balanced squads, the team brings medics, snipers, breachers, and K9s to the right scene at the right scale. Along the way, you’ll hear how patrol officers with SWAT training stabilize scenes before the full callout, why debriefs happen after every operation, and how mutual aid keeps long events sustainable. Technology is quietly changing the risk equation. Interior-capable drones, pole cameras, and evolving comms let officers see and speak inside tight spaces before crossing a threshold. And training keeps pace with the tools. Looking ahead, the case for adding full-time SWAT roles is clear: faster responses to critical incidents, stronger instructor coverage, more community outreach, and less time pulling patrol off the street. If you care about real-world tactics, leadership under pressure, and how a growing city stays ahead of risk, this conversation offers a detailed, unvarnished view of modern SWAT operations.

    20 min

  4. APR 17

    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 Telecommunicators Week and the communications team that answers the calls, guides the public, and supports officers from the first ring. We talk about why dispatchers are “the first first responders,” what wellness support and crisis intervention training (CIT) can look like behind the scenes, and why the new Golden Headset award is a meaningful way to recognize excellence. You’ll also hear the lighter side of the comms room culture, plus a hurricane story that proves dispatchers can run a headset and a crock pot at the same time.  Then we dig into a big operational win: replacing our mobile command vehicle (MCV). We explain what an MCV is, why it matters at critical incidents, major events, and disasters, and how modern technology allows a smaller, more nimble platform. We also clear up common questions about asset forfeiture funding, what the law allows, why city council authorization was required, and how this approach helps us stay equipped without missing a beat.

    19 min

  5. APR 10

    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 email to Cape Coral leaders, and found out that people will listen when the message is clear and the stakes are human. In this episode of the Cape CopCast 'Chief's Chat,' Chief Sizemore and Public Affairs Officer Lisa Greenberg talk with N'Evaeh about what sparked her advocacy, how writing can be therapeutic, and why “doing nothing is not an option” when community safety is on the line. We get into the bigger picture behind pedestrian safety and traffic safety in Southwest Florida: distracted driving, phone use while crossing the street, and how one small lapse can have a ripple effect, changing multiple lives at once. The 15-year-old's core advice is simple and hard to ignore: be aware. Look up. Put the phone down. Stay in the moment. We also zoom out to the shared responsibility that makes safer streets possible, from drivers and pedestrians to bicyclists, e-bike riders, police education and enforcement, and smarter road design and infrastructure. The conversation ends with a hopeful update on Stella’s recovery and a reminder that one student voice can create real momentum.

    23 min

  6. MAR 27

    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 wellness as part of the DNA of the building, not a poster on the wall. That means physical training, nutrition guidance, financial literacy, and mental health support that’s built to meet people where they are.  We get into how our Peer Support Team works, why our Chaplains matter, and how simply knowing help exists can lower stress even before someone reaches out. We also talk about the long game: bringing families into the process earlier through pre-deployment onboarding, so the people who support our officers at home understand the job and feel included. The goal is simple and serious: do the work, go home healthy, and finish a career able to enjoy what you’ve earned.  Then we shift to a snapshot of modern police work in motion: a stolen car tied to a burglary, a pursuit crossing jurisdictions, and an arrest that comes together through interagency teamwork, K9 tracking, drones, and a community tip.

    20 min

  7. MAR 16

    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 swearing-ins, hospital rooms, tragedies, and retirements, always with the same offer: talk, pray, or vent, no judgment. Lisa, his wife of 47 years, joins us to reveal the other half of service—the weary drive home, the boundary-setting, and what it's like to be the partner of someone who law enforcement leans on. We dive into how chaplaincy works inside a modern department: ride-alongs that build trust, a desk in patrol that lowers barriers, and regular visits to dispatch, where stress runs high and closure is rare. Chaplain Neace explains how proximity and availability foster resilience, integrity, and professionalism across command staff, patrol, and communications. We also unpack the moment he knew it was time to retire, guided by a prayer from Psalm 39:4, and the choice to invest first in family—kids, grandkids, and being “Mr. Lisa Neace” with pride. He also shares practical advice for new chaplains, honest marriage wisdom for first responder couples, and a clear reminder that faith and friendship can carry a load that duty alone cannot.

    26 min

  8. MAR 16

    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 heart health story. Putting a fitted sheet on your bed shouldn’t steal your breath—and when it did, Moser knew something was wrong. That small, startling moment led to a fight to be heard, a diagnosis of serious aortic dysfunction, and major heart surgery that reframed how she works, eats, moves, and supports others. Joined by Victim Advocate Brandi Tucker, Moser unpacks the quiet warning signs of heart disease in women, why dismissal happens, and how to advocate through the noise until you get answers that fit your body, not a checklist. Together we map the terrain first responders navigate daily: chronic stress, disrupted sleep, and constant adrenaline that push blood pressure higher and shorten recovery windows. We talk about practical, sustainable changes—lean, protein-forward meals, smarter sodium choices, movement that fits your life, micro-breaks that reset your system, and rebuilding stamina without burning out. And because mental health is cardiac health, we dig into stigma, the power of peer support, and finding culturally competent therapists who truly understand the job. We also spotlight our upcoming Annual Candlelight Ceremony, where families honor lost loved ones and grief finds company. It’s a reminder that connection is medicine: the body calms when we can speak, be seen, and feel safe. Moser is the keynote speaker, and the event is held at the Cape Coral Police Department on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at 7 PM. You can find more information here.

    16 min
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Ratings & Reviews

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out of 5
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About

Welcome to the "Cape CopCast," the official podcast of the Cape Coral Police Department. Hosted by Officer Mercedes Simonds, 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. 

Information

  • Creator
    Cape Coral Police Department
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    68
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Cape CopCast
  • Show Website
    Cape CopCast