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Daytona Beach agrees to back county pilot for centralized domestic violence database
Summary
The commission voted unanimously July 1 to send a letter supporting a proposed county-run database that would list people convicted two or more times of domestic violence, a measure its sponsor says would help residents and caregivers quickly check offender histories.
District 2 Valuchia County Councilman Matt Reinhardt urged the Daytona Beach City Commission to back a county pilot of a centralized domestic violence database and the commission agreed, voting to send a letter of support.
Reinhardt told commissioners he proposed the database after personal experience and lengthy service in corrections, saying Valuchia County ranks fourth in Florida for domestic violence cases. He said the county would pull conviction data from the clerk's office and post basic identifying information (name, address, and convictions) online so residents, caregivers and employers could more easily check whether someone had multiple domestic-violence convictions.
"We want to make the resource available here in Valuchia County for the citizens for free," Reinhardt said, adding that the sheriff and other cities had signaled support and that the county planned to add the idea to its 2027 legislative package.
Supporters described use cases including dating, in-home care for elderly relatives and broader public safety. Reinhardt acknowledged the clerk's office already holds case records but said they are time-consuming to search; the proposed website would aim to make the information searchable and understandable for non‑experts.
Some commissioners and attendees acknowledged privacy and implementation questions and asked staff to clarify technical and legal details before state-level adoption. Reinhardt said the county would gather conviction information only and would include links to the clerk and arresting agency for those seeking additional records.
The commission voted to send a letter of support (voice vote; motion carried 7-0). The letter will be included in the county agenda packet for its July 21 meeting, and Reinhardt said he will also pursue state legislation in 2027 to extend the approach statewide.
The commission's action was a procedural endorsement only; it does not create a local database or change record-keeping rules. Officials said further review will address questions about disclosure, accuracy and any necessary clerical or IT capacity.
What happens next: staff will accept Reinhardt's draft letters of support, include the commission's letter with the county packet on July 21, and the county council will consider whether to formally adopt the pilot and proceed with technical implementation.
