Volusia County Sheriff's Office Donates Virtual Simulator to Provide Ground Breaking Community Engagement Training for Students and Community Members

Pictured: Dr. Kideste Yusef, Center Assistant Director, B-CU President E. LaBrent Chrite, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood, Dr. Randy Nelson, Director of the Center for Law & Social Justice

In appreciation of the innovative and cutting-edge work in the area of police-community engagement, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office (VCSO) and Volusia County Commission donated a law enforcement training virtual simulator to the Bethune-Cookman University Center for Law & Social Justice (CLSJ). Under the leadership of the Center's Director, Dr. Randy Nelson, the CLSJ has trained and hosted law enforcement agencies throughout Florida as well as other states. The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office recently secured a newer model virtual simulator and Sheriff Mike Chitwood felt the replaced simulator would significantly augment the Center's ground-breaking community engagement training and research.  The donation (approximately $40,000), will allow the CLSJ to be a national trend setter as one of the only academic institutions independent of those functioning as a criminal justice academy with a virtual simulator.

"We're proud to be able to partner with B-CU and provide their students with another tool to prepare them for a potential career in law enforcement," Sheriff Chitwood said. "I would love to see a long list of B-CU graduates joining the ranks of law enforcement in the future - especially as Volusia Sheriff's Office deputies.”

B-CU President Dr. E. LaBrent Chrite personally thanked Sheriff Chitwood and the Commission for the generous donation during the Volusia County Commission meeting on Tuesday, July 21, 2020 and advised that the gift would further support the Center's efforts to develop the next generation of law enforcement professionals, as well as provide community residents, youth, and stakeholders with a better understanding of the real life situations law enforcement professionals encounter.