Volusia County Sheriff Chitwood plans to recruit NYPD officers to work in Florida

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. - Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood says he has plans to recruit NYPD officers, saying they’ll be supported in Florida. 

What we know:

Chitwood – who was sworn in as Volusia County sheriff in 2017 – spoke on Good Day Orlando, Monday to discuss his views on retaining law enforcement – who are in a profession that gets "emotionally hit," he said.

The backstory:

Following the election win of New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on Nov. 4, Chitwood invited New York law enforcement workers to seek employment in Florida. Houston Police similarly made the same invitation. 

Mamdani – the 34-year-old assemblyman from Queens – will officially take office as mayor in 2026 following his victory over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.

"If you’re an NYC resident or a great NYPD officer unhappy with the results of tonight's Mayoral election, let me be the first to invite you into the welcoming arms of Volusia County, FL," Chitwood's Nov. 4 Facebook post said. 

When running for the mayoral seat, Mandami said "I will not defund the police. I will work with the police because I believe the police have a critical role to play in creating public safety," he said in the second New York City Democratic mayoral debate on June 13. Mandami also voiced plans of creating a Department of Community Safety to handle non-violent incidents that he believes would get to the root cause of crime. Mamdani's public safety plan includes reallocating $600 million from existing programs and raising taxes on wealthy New Yorkers to fund the new department.

What we know:

Florida has made strides in hiring and retaining police officers, Chitwood said. 

He referenced the Florida Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Payment Program – launched in 2022 – that gives a one-time $5,000 bonus—after taxes—to newly employed officers in Florida. Through the program, more than $58 million has been distributed, an August press release said. 

"I encourage NYPD officers to look into that," Chitwood said. "You're going to get support here, and you're going to have a tremendous quality of life." 

Chitwood, a transplant himself – who previously worked for departments in Philadephia and Shawnee, Oklahoma – also said to doctors, nurses and teachers, why not take a look at us? 

"I think I've done a good job at contributing to my community," he said. "Why would we not want that?" 

What's next:

For Volusia County Sheriff's Office's next job fair, Chitwood said they plan to travel to New York. 

He's looking for qualified applicants. The sheriff's office has 15 to 20 openings, Chitwood said.