, 2023 Five deputies have been killed in the line of duty, including Sheriff Jefferson Davis Kurtz. In 2017, the VSO began implementing reformist measures to reduce the size and scope of law enforcement in Volusia County. Classes on
gender and
racial bias in policing were implemented. In 2020, the VSO implemented
crisis intervention training for new officers in Volusia County with the goal of decreasing use-of-force and eliminating the "warrior mentality" in police operations; influenced by the
Scottish police reform group
Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). In the same period, the VSO equipped detectives and the
SWAT team of Volusia County with
body cameras and increased the use of SWAT. ,
Samsula, FL In 2024, Sheriff Chitwood received national attention for
perp walking and posting mugshots of children who had been arrested. His actions were characterized by
Kelly McBride of the
Poynter Institute as "vindictive" and a "publicity stunt harmful to children".
List of sheriffs Full list of sheriffs of Volusia County: • Elijah Watson (1855–1856) • Hezekiah E. Osteen (1856–1858) • Thomas J. Brooke (1858–1859) • A.J. Simmons (1859–1860) • James C. Marsh (1860–1862) • Cordin Barnes (1862–1863) • Ora Carpenter (1863–1865) • Rueben Marsh (1865–1868) • Andrew H. Alexander (1868–1870) • William F. Bucknor (1870–1874) • Christopher C. Hart (1874–1875) • Hezekiah E. Osteen (1875–1876) • William A. Cone (1876–1885) • Barton F. Brooks (1885–1886) • Uriah M. Bennett (1886–1887) • G. P. Healy (1887–1889) • William K. Turner (1889) • Henry Stevenson (1889–1891) • Jefferson Davis Kurtz (1891–1895) • John Frohock (1895) • John R. Turner (1895–1908) • E. L. Smith (1908–1916) • Lee Morris (1916–1924) • S. Edward Stone (1924–1953) • James H. Tucker (1953–1956) • Rodney B. Thursby (1956–1968) • Edwin H. Duff II (1968–1989) • Robert L. Vogel, Jr. (1989–2001) • Ben F. Johnson (2001–2017) •
Mike Chitwood (2017–present) == See also ==