Volusia County, FL - Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood plans to launch a high-tech crime-fighting program that's designed to help identify and combat crime trends. He also intends to lead the Volusia County Sheriff's Office (VCSO) to more accountability-based policing.
According to the VCSO, the program, CompStat, will be launched on Thursday, April 13, 8:30 AM, Deltona City Hall, 2345 Providence Blvd. The inaugural meeting is co-hosted by the City of Deltona.
The VCSO says that CompStat (computer statistics) relies on technology and plotting offenses on a map to help guide the agency's crime-fighting strategy. It also encourages community participation and feedback from residents about crime in their neighborhoods. There are plans to expand the program beyond Deltona to the rest of the Sheriff's jurisdiction.
The program plots crimes on a map to identify trends, patterns, connections and hot spots. The information gained is used in discussions with the Sheriff and his commanders. The program is designed to enhance information-sharing and hold supervisors responsible for employing strategies and resources needed to effectively solve, combat and suppress crime, as explained by the VCSO.
"CompStat is a great tool that will make us more effective in the way we utilize our assets," said Sheriff Chitwood. "It will help ensure that we develop policing strategies and direct our resources in a way that meets the community's needs and has the greatest impact in reducing crime."
The VCSO says that CompStat isn't new. As Daytona Beach Police Chief, Chitwood implemented the program in Daytona Beach in 2006 and opened up the twice-a-month crime control strategy meetings to the public. In Deltona, the meetings will be held every other Thursday and will remain open to the public. Each meeting will look at crime trends from the most recent 2 weeks in Deltona and the reports will be posted on the Sheriff's Office website, found here.
"Public input is essential to any crime-fighting strategy," said Sheriff Chitwood. "I don't believe in holding these meetings in some back room out of view. We want citizens involved, and we want them to not only see what crimes are taking place, but more importantly, what we're doing about it. That's what accountability-based policing is all about."
Find more information about CompStat here.
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