VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood is known to never mince words, and he’s issued a stern warning to parents amid the coronavirus pandemic: Help keep your children out of trouble, or they’ll end up behind bars:
“With schools closed and so many extracurricular activities on hold right now, we all know it’s going to be easy for kids to get bored and start getting into trouble,” Chitwood said in a Facebook post. "We’re seeing it already. Some of these kids are committing felonies that are going to follow them into adulthood.
"Trust me, none of us in law enforcement want to do the parenting of these kids. But if they’re out committing burglaries, car breaks and other crimes, we really have no choice.
As of Friday evening, Volusia County had 43 positive COVID-19 cases.
“You, parents, are the first line of defense. For your son or daughter’s own good, keep tabs on what they’re up to and who they’re hanging out with. If you don’t want me raising your child, then you need to do your job as parents.”