Michael Jude Chitwood[1] (born November 30, 1963)[2] is an American politician and law enforcement officer who currently serves as the sheriff of Volusia County, Florida.

[4] As Daytona Beach chief of police, Chitwood faced a heavily publicized incident on the campus of the historically black Bethune–Cookman University, in which he was alleged to have made racist comments.

The NAACP asked United States attorney general Eric Holder to probe Chitwood’s "racially tinged" comments about the disturbance.

[8] Chitwood left the Republican Party in 2020 and disavowed Donald Trump after the January 6 United States Capitol attack.

[9] His actions were characterized by Kelly McBride of the Poynter Institute as "vindictive" and a "publicity stunt harmful to children".

In one incident, Chitwood referred to Volusia County sheriff Ben Johnson as a "moron" during a public meeting.

A store clerk had called police thinking Beeland was using a stolen credit card, which turned out not to be the case.

A recent spate of murders in the black community, including the death of a 13-year-old boy who was shot in the face, have led some to blame the DBPD's moving the police headquarters from Orange Avenue, in the black community, to Valor Boulevard, in a culturally-mixed suburban area of Daytona Beach.

[5] In January 2016, incumbent Volusia County sheriff Ben Johnson announced his retirement at the end of his current term.

In November 2024, incumbent Volusia County Council chairman Jeff Brower accused Chitwood of being a "bully" and called for "a new sheriff".

[31] In 2017, Chitwood began implementing reformist measures to reduce the size and scope of law enforcement in Volusia County.

[13][32] In 2020, Chitwood implemented a 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.

[36] Early in 2023, anti-Jewish banners were held by neo-Nazi group Goyim Defense League at the Daytona International Speedway.

Police agencies opened an investigation resulting in the arrests of three people outside the state of Florida, one of whom was in possession of firearms and ammunition.

[37][4] In late 2023, an Alaskan double-murder suspect was indicted by a grand jury after allegedly threatening to "blind and kill" Chitwood.

[44] After DeSantis withdrew from the race, Chitwood supported Democratic nominee and incumbent vice president Kamala Harris in the 2024 United States presidential election.

[4] In August 2014, Transportation Security Administration agents at the Orlando International Airport discovered a loaded .38 caliber revolver in Chitwood's carry-on bag.