If you or anyone else would like to send a kind note to Chief Chitwood, or an open letter to Daytona's Finest, you may do so here:
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Commendations There is no greater form of recognition a police officer or employee can receive than a compliment from someone whose life we have touched and made better. Commendations can consist of any form of recognition from a citizen's letter to the award of a service medal. Letters should describe the events or incident along with the officer or employee's name(s) involved. Please include the specific action which impressed you or helped you. The circumstances surrounding the employee's action will be considered when deciding the level of recognition the employee deserves. In all cases, especially letters of appreciation, the police employee and his or her supervisor and the Chief of Police are made aware of the outstanding performance and a copy of the letter Each person who commends an employee is notified by the Chief of Police that a commendation was received and what action was taken. The Office of Professional Standards Office Hours: Messages may be left after hours
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| Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing. |
The Daytona Beach Police Department - Message from the Chief
| A Message from Chief Mike Chitwood | |
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Biography: Michael J. Chitwood
On May 30, 2006, Michael J. Chitwood was sworn in as Chief of Police of the Daytona Beach Police Department. He had previously served for a one year time period as Chief of Police of Shawnee, Oklahoma, Police Department. He went there after serving for 17 years with the Philadelphia Police Department which consists of over 7,000 sworn members and is the fifth largest police department in the nation. During his career with the Philadelphia Police Department, he worked in patrol, tactical, narcotics and detective divisions. He was officially cited 58 times by the Philadelphia Police Department and received commendations for merit, heroism, bravery and the highest award – Valor. When he left the department to assume command of the Shawnee Police Department, he had attained the rank of Lieutenant. As Lieutenant, he commanded in the Special Investigations Unit and the Homicide Divisions.
Michael Chitwood received his Bachelors Degree in management from Eastern University in Pennsylvania and is a graduate of the FBINA class of 2004. He is also a graduate of Northwestern University’s School of Staff and Command.
While serving as Chief of Police of Shawnee, he launched many innovative programs. A bicycle patrol was formed to improve community relations, increase officer visibility, and reduce crime. A Police Foundation was formed to help the department advance in the area of technology. With the foundation’s help, the department increased training and purchased state of the art AFIS and Polygraph systems. The COMPSAT process was introduced as its crime fighting and crime reduction strategy.