Volusia sheriff’s office gets $5 million for juvenile assessment center
The county has allocated money for a project Volusia County sheriff Mike Chitwood says he has wanted for years – a juvenile assessment center.
Sheriff Chitwood tells FOX35 a chaotic shootout between his deputies and two teen suspects – including a 14-year-old girl – is an example of why a facility of its kind is needed.
"Fourteen times she’s been Baker Acted. We’re hopeful that’ll never happen again because after the first or second time with all the professionals under one roof we’re hopeful they can come up with a plan that meets her needs," he said.
The services will be offered at a vacant building near the county jail. Staff from a variety of professions will screen teens for mental and substance abuse issues.
"If a kid is going to be Baker Acted, if a kid has substance abuse issues, if a kid is arrested – they’re gonna go and they’re gonna be assessed from head to toe to see what services are available for them and their families," explained the sheriff.
He said the goal is to reroute kids in the county from a life of crime, hoping to keep them out of DJJ.
"If you’re gonna go out there at 14 or 15 and tote guns and do gunpoint robberies, this isn’t for you. This is for the kids that are struggling. They’re on the borderline if they’re gonna fall into criminality or their gonna fall into a drug history," he said.
The facility could open as soon as October.