If you have ever seen a patrol car blow past you and figured they must be racing to an emergency, you are not alone. Most of us give law enforcement the benefit of the doubt when we see those lights flying by. But a recent incident out of one Florida sheriff’s office is a good reminder that not every fast-moving patrol car has a good reason to be moving that fast.
A sheriff’s deputy, along with his K9 partner, ended up in a retention pond after losing control of his cruiser at a reported 92 miles per hour. The car went off the roadway, over a curb, and into the water. The damage bill came out to $73,000, which is enough to buy a pretty nice truck outright, not just repair one that is already sitting at the bottom of a pond.
Here is the part that really stands out. When asked what the deputy was responding to, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said the answer was nothing. No call, no chase, no emergency. Just speed for the sake of speed, which is not exactly the example anyone wants set by the people paid to enforce traffic laws in the first place.
“He was just acting like an a**. Well now, you’re gonna see mine,” Chitwood said in an interview with FOX 35 Orlando.
The sheriff did not sugarcoat it either, making it clear there would be consequences and that this was not going to be treated as a simple slap on the wrist.
No Excuse, No Warning
Chitwood was blunt about what happens next. The deputy is being pulled from his specialty assignments, meaning he is off the SWAT team and off the K9 unit. There are additional penalties on the table as well, though the specifics were not spelled out.
As the sheriff put it, there was going to be some pain that comes with this, and rightfully so. A crash like that could have hurt the deputy, his K9 partner, or anyone else who happened to be on that road.
“It’s just stupid. There’s no reason to be acting like that,” he said.
How The Public Helps Keep Deputies In Check
One interesting detail from the interview is just how often the public plays a role in catching this kind of behavior. The sheriff mentioned getting emails from residents who jot down a patrol car’s number along with the time and location, which lets his office pull GPS data and check what was actually going on.
It is basically a built-in accountability system, powered by everyday drivers paying attention.
A New System Is On The Way
Going forward, the sheriff’s office plans to start pulling monthly or bi-monthly reports on deputies who exceed the speed limit. Captains will then be responsible for explaining any speeding incidents, with discipline handed out from there.
It is a fairly simple fix, but one that should catch situations like this before they end up costing tens of thousands of dollars in damage.
“It’s unfortunate that we have to do this with professionals. But if you don’t act professional, I’m gonna have to make you act professional,” Chitwood said.
Deputies Doing Good Work Too
It was not all bad news out of the same office. Over the July 4th weekend, deputies assigned to beach patrol pulled off a dramatic rescue during dangerous rip current conditions, with one deputy ditching gear on the spot to swim out and make the save.
The sheriff’s office is reportedly the only one in Florida certified through the United States Lifeguard Association, which says a lot about the level of training these beach units go through.