VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — The Volusia County sheriff is asking county leaders to consider banning a certain style of tents and trucks from the beach.

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Sheriff Mike Chitwood said his deputies have dealt with sex offenders hiding out in enclosed tents on the beach, so he wants those gone.

Another issue is that vehicles known as Carolina squat trucks have a lift kit only on one end, which create dangerous driving conditions on the coast. Any vehicle with altered suspensions or frames that make the height of the front fender raised or lowered four or more inches greater than the back would become illegal.

“The way the beach had been policed in the past, it’s over, it’s buried,” Chitwood said.

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Chitwood said driving trucks like that could already result in being pulled over, but beach driving should be treated differently because of pedestrians.

“When you modify your truck like this and it’s a high ride or low ride, you can’t see over the dashboard, you cannot see what’s out there in front of you,” Chitwood said.

He said deputies have made at least two dozen arrests after finding sex offenders hiding out in tents or exposing themselves at the beach.

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“We are not talking three-sided with a roof. we are talking the military-type tent I see down there where you can completely close it and not see anything going on in there,” Chitwood said.

Beachgoers said they are on board with the tent topic.

“If you can’t see everything under it, it’s just not safe,” Christina Britt said.

Both of those items are listed as up for discussion at next week’s County Council meeting.

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