Volusia County Sheriff:

Mike Chitwood

• How do you plan to support members of the LGBTQ community in DeLand and Volusia County?

I will continue to stand up for the protection of all members of my community regardless of any labels often used to divide us. I'm proud to say that I've spoken out against insulting and dehumanizing attacks on the LGBTQ+ community, whether those attacks are coming from neo-Nazis spewing hate, or from one of our own state representatives. I encourage you to Google my track record, because I want to make it clear that all residents and visitors deserve and will receive equal protection under the law in Volusia County. That said, speaking out is not the only way to support the LGBTQ+ community. We have enhanced criminal penalties in Florida for hate crimes, and we are not afraid to use them when applicable. For example, in 2022, we arrested a teenager on an enhanced hate crime charge after he brutally attacked a 16-year-old boy while repeatedly calling him a slur commonly used against gay people. Deputies determined the attack was motivated by prejudice. We can't turn a blind eye to hate, and while we have come a long way in certain areas of society compared to decades past, we still have a lot of work to do in establishing a broader culture of acceptance and respect for others.

• Would you support a Pride Parade in Downtown DeLand?

Yes. I would be happy to support a Pride Parade in DeLand or any of our communities in Volusia County, assuming all the proper permits are granted. Not only that, I would pledge all the law enforcement resources necessary to make sure the event is safe for all who participate and attend. While Downtown DeLand falls in the jurisdiction of the DeLand Police Department, I will gladly offer personnel from the Sheriff's Office (both visible and an unseen presence) to assist in protecting against any potential threats. We'll also take steps at our intelligence center (VC3) to monitor social media chatter from extremist groups or others who might indicate plans to threaten, disrupt, or terrorize a peaceful Pride event. When you have a date set for this event, I encourage the organizers to reach out to me or my office so we can begin coordinating these resources. Most importantly, please be sure to communicate with the city to secure the necessary permits and ensure that the right resources for traffic safety, management, and more are all in place.

• Why are you running for office What motivates you to serve your community?

I've spent virtually my entire adult life in this career because I love to help people solve problems, and I believe I'm good at it. I ran for Sheriff for the first time in 2016 because I saw an opportunity to bring new ideas and philosophies to an entire county. We brought in innovative new programs, technology, and tools that make our county safer and help us earn trust from the community. In addition to solving crime at a rate high above the national average, we're working to identify and address the root causes. For example, in 2022 we established the comprehensive Volusia Family Resource Center to screen and process every juvenile who is arrested, plus many other at-risk youth whose families ask for help. Those screenings help identify mental health issues, substance abuse patterns, behavioral problems, and other factors that used to go unresolved. Now we can get the right social service agencies involved to help solve the underlying problems. We also established an Overdose Task Force that brings a full-court press to every overdose investigation AND refers survivors and their families to the Volusia Recovery Alliance for help overcoming addiction. We make lots of arrests through a lot of great work, but we can't arrest our way out of all our long-term problems. These are just a couple of ways I see us not only fighting crime, but increasing public safety by addressing the root causes. The success we have seen from these initiatives motivates me to keep pushing forward.

• Why should people vote for you and not your opponents?

We've built an organization that's giving Volusia County the high level of service and professionalism the people deserve. As Sheriff, I believe I've established a proven track record of accessibility, responsiveness, and transparency. The results speak for themselves, but I'm proud to put my name on the ballot and make the case that I have earned your support. I don't consider my opponent a serious candidate for sheriff as he's a pool builder with zero law enforcement experience other than being arrested multiple times.