Volusia County sheriff pushing education to prevent more school threats

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Volusia County sheriff is sticking to his guns about holding kids accountable when they make school threats. So far this school year, we have seen a total of four arrests in that county alone.

"Why are we allowing one percent of the knuckleheads to control the lives of the other 99%?" Sheriff Mike Chitwood asked, following a series of school lockdowns, including two this morning, and several arrests.

"If you can't conform, then there's a penalty for you," Chitwood added, as he continued to search for solutions to the growing problem of school threats.

Chitwood is using arrests and jail time to send a message, hoping the consequences will resonate with students. Last week, two teens were arrested at school after allegedly threatening violence, despite having just watched a warning about such threats in the classroom.

"They're in the back of the room threatening to shoot up the school the next day. I don't know how you break that," Chitwood said, emphasizing the need for legal action.

Chitwood is pushing for more than just arrests. His goal is to educate students and prevent repeat offenses. He's advocating for harsher penalties, including 21 days in a secure facility, 60 days with an ankle monitor, and six months without electronic devices, except for schoolwork.

Chitwood also supports a strict probationary period, allowing time for students to receive mental health support or address other issues contributing to the behavior.