Sheriff highlights 2024 accreditation, crime‑clearance gains and falling overdoses; deputy finance director outlines budget schedule

Sheriff Chitwood and Deltona‑contracted deputies reviewed public safety outcomes for 2024 and highlighted several operational changes, while Deputy Finance Director John McKinney briefed the commission on the city’s upcoming budget process and TRIM deadlines.

Sheriff’s presentation: Sheriff Chitwood said the sheriff’s office has 86 sworn members contracted to protect Deltona and described two training academy graduations in 2024 producing 25 new deputies. The agency achieved a tri‑arc accreditation (law enforcement, communications, and training), a designation the sheriff said only 36 agencies worldwide hold and only the third in the state of Florida.

Chitwood explained a statewide/national shift to NIBRS (National Incident Based Reporting System) reporting, which records multiple related offenses per incident and can make crime counts appear higher than the prior UCR summary format. For Deltona in 2024 the sheriff reported a Group A clearance rate of 76.72 percent — about 35 percentage points above a cited national average figure for earlier periods.

The sheriff described operations launched during the year, including an overdose task force he said targets dealers; he reported an approximate 37.5 percent reduction in overdose deaths and a 43.9 percent decrease in nonfatal overdoses compared with prior reporting periods. The Deltona narcotics unit completed 13 search warrants, seizing 11 firearms, and the financial crimes unit (staffed in September 2024) had 17 assigned cases from Deltona, two arrests and nearly $500,000 recovered in alleged losses.

Traffic enforcement and neighborhood engagement were also addressed. The sheriff noted 19,178 traffic stops (patrol total presented) with 9,167 citations from patrol. The office encouraged public participation in monthly public CompStat meetings to discuss trends and operations; Deltona hosts the meeting roughly three times per year.

Budget overview: John McKinney, Deputy Finance Director, summarized the city’s budget development process and calendar, highlighting five components: budget development, zero‑based budget review, requested enhancements, Florida property tax/TRIM rules, and time frame. McKinney emphasized personnel costs, indirect cost allocation, debt service, capital improvement planning, and leveraging state and federal grants for capital projects or reimbursable positions.

He reviewed key TRIM deadlines: the commission sets the maximum millage in July and must hold two public hearings in September — one to adopt the tentative millage and budget and a second to adopt the final millage and budget before certifying the budget. McKinney described the distinction between ad valorem (above‑the‑line) taxes and non‑ad valorem (below‑the‑line) assessments and noted capital outlay policy (assets >$5,000, life expectancy >1 year) and a five‑year capital improvement program.

Why it matters: The sheriff’s accreditation and reported clearance rates are metrics the commission can use to assess public safety contract performance. The budget calendar and TRIM requirements set the timeline for the commission to consider millage and budget decisions that affect city services.

What’s next: The sheriff invited residents to CompStat public meetings and department leaders to continue coordination with the commission. Finance staff will return with preliminary taxable values, requested enhancements, and draft budgets in the coming months.