by Chuck Seaver, South Lake Tablet
The Clermont Police Department (CPD) held its bi-monthly Coffee with a Cop, a community relations event, on Wednesday, February 18th at the Foxtail Coffee Co., 2608 US-27 South, Clermont. Coffee with a Cop is a program designed to enhance community member relationship with law enforcement officers and the citizens of the communities that they serve. Businesses throughout the area often host the Coffee with a Cop program to exhibit not only support of the community but also support of the local first responders in the community. It also provides a neutral location for real conversations about issues that matter.
Among many of the topics discussed, the recent story of Ernest Joe Manzanares, a missing local man whose partial remains were discovered in 2009, and recently identified by modern day forensics testing, was a fresh topic addressed by Clermont Police Captain Malcolm Draper. Capt. Draper stated that information calls have been numerous since the recent media release and encouraged anyone with even the slightest information to please contact the Clermont Police Department.
Manzanares was reported missing by family members in Ocoee during the summer of 1988. The case had grown cold over the years until recently when a series of state-of-the-art forensics tests revealed human remains found in 2009 at present day Hiawatha Park in Clermont, were in fact the remains of Manzanares.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Capt. Malcolm Draper at 352-536-8412 or mdraper@clermontfl.org.
Some guests inquired about the department’s hiring status and academy eligibility requirements for police officer positions. Certified police officers begin at a salary of $65,405 with an increase for prior experience. The department also offers a take-home vehicle program, maintains specialized units within the department, and has a 20-year retirement plan plus health benefits packages.
Police cadet academy sponsorship positions are available through a candidate selection process. The Clermont Police Department will pay cadets an hourly wage while they are enrolled in the police academy. Interested people may inquire further at www.joincpdfl.com.
Other headline topics included the annual “Honoring the Fallen 5K” on Saturday, February 21st. Hosted by the Clermont Police Department and sponsored by DASH Sports of Clermont, the annual fundraiser takes place in the heart of beautiful downtown Clermont. Formerly known as the Conrad Buckley Legacy Scholarship 5K, this year’s event honors the 80 law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the line of duty in 2025.
The 6th annual event has traditionally been a sellout each year and this year is no exception. Participant levels have increased each year with this year’s entry cap being raised to 670 participants. “At this time, we have 650 registered participants with an anticipated full house by this Friday,” says Clermont Police Sergeant Erin Razo.
All proceeds and donations benefit local chapters of Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) and the Code 4 initiative, both of which provide critical support to police officers and their families in times of critical need.
