Do you want surf, sun and sand?
There's plenty of all three at what's billed the world's most famous beach. But making sure it's a safe place to live with a pleasant quality of life falls on the shoulders of Daytona Beach Police Chief Mike Chitwood and his officers.
Sitting in Chitwood's office, I wanted to know a bit more about the man behind the badge. Sure, News 13 has interviewed him on numerous occasions. You can always count on him for a colorful sound bite, which some folks have taken offense at. But Chitwood makes no apologies for how he expresses himself of the names he calls folks who happen to cross the line and end up on the wrong side of the law.
Born in Philadelphia, law enforcement runs in Chitwood's family. His dad, also Mike, just celebrated 50 years in law enforcement. He even wrote a book, titled "Tough Cop: Mike Chitwood vs. the 'Scumbags,'" which takes the reader through 50 years of one man's law enforcement career in Pennsylvania and Maine.
These were the words his family heard at the table on a regular basis. Chitwood's father used to ask his children if that’s what they wanted to be — sort of like a life lesson and what would happen if they made poor choices.
One choice Chitwood decided to agree with was the name of the department's Police Explorer Program fundraising campaign.
Funding for the program, which served students in seventh grade through high school, was cut due to budget cuts. All of the money — including money for activities and scholarships — was gone.
How they raised the money with the parents' consent is an interesting story that you can hear in the attached interview.
I asked Chitwood how he felt the relationship between the police and the city was doing.
"I hope it's a lot better than when I got here, and I hope when the next chief comes, his or her time here will make it even better," he said.
Chitwood said he lives, works, shops, runs and bikes in the community and attends many events. He's quick to add that he loves his job, too.
His full name is Michael Jude Chitwood. I asked him what the middle name meant. He smiled and said: "Patron Saint of the Impossible."