Daytona Beach, FL – The head of the Daytona Beach Police Department says he’s not going to run for Volusia County Sheriff in 2016.
DBPD Chief Mike Chitwood made that announcement during Monday’s edition of the Marc Bernier Show on WNDB.
Chitwood was rumored as a potential candidate for the role since current Sheriff Ben Johnson announced his retirement last week. He told Bernier during his monthly “Ask The Chief” segment last Friday that he was going to spend the weekend thinking about it after many people reached out to him saying he should run.
But after spending the weekend doing just that and making a list of the pros and cons, Chitwood decided that he’s going to stay where he is and not enter the political ring.
“My heart tells me that I have a passion and a love for the City of Daytona Beach, for my job and for my department,” Chitwood added. “And I think I have the premier law enforcement job in Central Florida.”
Chitwood also cited his strong relationship with city leaders – especially on the Daytona Beach City Commission – and the many officers under his command as a big reason why it would be hard for him to leave.
“Don’t strike because opportunity is there,” Chitwood noted. “Strike because you want to have that opportunity and if you’re still being effective in your current job and you love what you’re doing, why would you want to leave? That’s basically what it comes down to.”
Chitwood did admit that he would’ve loved to bring to VCSO some of the crime-fighting tactics he brought to DBPD and said he didn’t come to this decision lightly, especially with all the people who were encouraging him to run and others who told him not to because he was an “integral” part of Daytona Beach.
“It was a sleepless Friday and Saturday and Sunday night,” Chitwood stated. “I guess it’s a good position to be in. It’s a flattering position to be in.”
Having said that, Chitwood also admitted that certain parts of the process to become the Sheriff were “distasteful” to him – especially having to wage a political campaign and asking people for money – and that also played a role in his decision.
Chitwood will celebrate his 10th anniversary with DBPD in May.
Johnson – a DeLand native who has spent over 40 years at VCSO and has been re-elected 3 times since becoming the county’s Sheriff in 2000 – announced his retirement last Tuesday effective at the end of his current term in December 2016.
No candidates have formally declared for Volusia County Sheriff in this year’s elections, according to the Volusia County Department of Elections website.
Mike Chitwood (photo courtesy DBPD)
Copyright 2016 Southern Stone Communications.