PIERSON, Fla. – The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office will pull full-time emergency services from Pierson after the town decided to end its contract with the office, leaving residents uncertain about who to call for help.
The sheriff’s office has provided around-the-clock law-enforcement services in Pierson for 34 years, but Sheriff Mike Chitwood said the town council recently voted to not renew the contract when it expires in November.
“I don’t understand why they would do that. It’s definitely not a good thing,” Pierson resident Paul Casura said.
Chitwood said the decision came as a surprise to him as well. Pierson, along with Deltona, DeBary and Oak Hill, currently contracts with the sheriff’s office for law enforcement services because these towns do not have their own police departments. The size of each contract depends on the population and area of the town.
“Enhanced services are what they pay for,” Chitwood explained. “That means that 12 hours a day, 365 days a year, there is a deputy assigned to the city of Pierson.”
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The sheriff said the Pierson town council decided to stop paying for the enhanced services.
“For four years, I held the cost down,” Chitwood said. “Finally I said, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ Healthcare, pay raises, vehicles, pension, all of that goes up. We have to raise our rates. We’re not making money off this. You’re actually paying for the service — it’s actually dollar for dollar.”
Without deputies stationed in Pierson 24/7, residents will have to wait for deputies from elsewhere in the county to respond in emergencies.
The town posted on its Facebook page after the sheriff’s letter was sent, saying the council decided to end the contract to avoid being locked into enhanced services at a 10%-higher cost.
𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻
𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗮𝘄 𝗘𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀
The Town of Pierson wants to address confusion created by the recent letter sent by the Volusia Sheriff’s Office (VSO) to residents.
𝟭. 𝗟𝗮𝘄 𝗲𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲.
Pierson will continue to receive the same baseline law enforcement coverage as every other community in Volusia County, even after the enhanced services contract ends on November 12, 2025. The Sheriff’s Office remains responsible for emergency calls, patrols, and investigations within the Town.
𝟮. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁.
The Town Council voted to end the current contract to avoid being automatically locked into another year of enhanced services at a 10% higher cost. This rate we believe is excessive and well above inflation. Our goal is to negotiate a fairer price for enhanced services that Pierson can afford, while maintaining the same baseline level of protection.
𝟯. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗳’𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿.
Instead of engaging in good-faith negotiations or providing a clear justification for the large increase, the Sheriff’s Office chose to send a letter that, intentionally or not, has created fear and confusion among residents. We want to be clear: there will be no lapse in law enforcement protection for Pierson.
𝟰. 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.
The Town Council is committed to both public safety and fiscal responsibility. We will continue working toward an agreement that serves the best interests of our residents.
We encourage our residents to attend Town Council meetings for important updates and discussion on this and many other issues. Meetings are held on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 PM in the Town Center auditorium. Agendas are posted on our website (www.townofpierson.org), Facebook page (www.facebook.com/TownofPierson), and at the Town Center.
Town of Pierson on Facebook
News 6 reached out to Pierson town leaders for comment but did not receive a response.