Bills would give control of beaches to sheriff and the county's beach patrol is not happy

Two bills working their way through the Florida Legislature would radically change the face of law enforcement along Volusia County's beaches by putting the sheriff's office in charge of the Beach Safety and Ocean Rescue division.

The legislation has set off an increasingly acrimonious dispute between the division, which provides law enforcement and lifeguard services, and Sheriff Mike Chitwood.

Volusia's beaches, including the beaches in the cities, are covered by Beach Safety and Ocean Rescue. Beach patrol officers are trained to perform ocean rescues in addition to handling law enforcement violations.

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The Volusia Watermen’s Association represents employees of the Volusia Beach Safety Division. Bryon White, union spokesman, and former beach patrol officer said that he has several concerns based on interviews the sheriff has given to media, including News 6 of Orlando.

In the interview, Chitwood said he plans to take 35 of 58 officers and put them through training, and they might not be assigned to the beach. He also said those who didn't want to become deputies could stay on as lifeguards and medics.

White said that would be dangerous for the public to lose the support the officers bring. White called Chitwood's proposal "misguided and ignorant of the complex management system which is required to keep our beaches running smoothly."

"We allege that the proposal is an authoritarian power-grab which relies on a theft of essential services from the public which are intended to shore up the chronically understaffed Sheriff’s Office," he continued.

He also said the sheriff has not been transparent and has not allowed beachside municipalities a chance to participate in a dialogue regarding the issue.

Chitwood declined an interview with The News-Journal but released a statement:

"The Sheriff’s Office is going to follow the law. Scare tactics and misinformation won’t change that. Just like we saw with Amendment 10 change can be difficult for some in Volusia County. We’re committed to improving public safety, and we have a proven track record of doing just that, including on the beach, where the Sheriff’s Office is routinely called in to handle major law enforcement incidents and investigations. There will always be those who resist change, but the future belongs to those who embrace it.”

Amendment 10 was a referendum passed in 2018 that ensured that sheriffs, property appraisers, supervisors of elections, tax collectors, and clerks of court in all counties would be elected and removed "county charters’ ability to abolish, change term, transfer duties, or eliminate election of these offices."

White said that "the Beach Safety Division rendered 58,141 law enforcement calls from 2017-2021. In that same time span, the Division conducted 160,820 ocean rescue actions and 7,815 EMS calls. A large number of those calls were handled by the same Beach Safety Officers that the Sheriff claims he may assign to other areas of the county."

County spokesman Kevin Captain said via email to The News-Journal that county officials are reviewing proposed legislation for its impact on the county.

"While we do not know what the final outcome will be and the bill’s impact to Volusia County, what we do know is that, as it pertains to the beach, the county will continue to provide rescue/life-saving and beach-related services to ensure a safe, clean and friendly ocean beach experience for residents and visitors," according to Captain.

White said there are other things to consider beyond ocean rescues.

White said that beach safety officers are trained to help the county meet the requirements of its Incidental Take Permit, which puts protections in place for wildlife while allowing beach driving.

White said the decision about beach law enforcement needs public comment and input from cities along the coast, which would be affected by the change.

The union said it started discussing the possibility of consolidating beach safety with the sheriff's office in 2018 with Amendment 10 on its way. But now the sheriff is not communicating with the union, White said.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Volusia beach law enforcement could go to Sheriff Mike Chitwood