Violent crimes among those under 18 years old are on the rise in Florida counties. Sheriff Mike Chitwood said the level of violence is nothing like he's seen before.
"It's not a gradual thing anymore where, you know, I got arrested for stealing a chocolate bar, and four years later, I'm graduating to do armed robberies," said Sheriff Chitwood. "It's grabbing your gun ... and going out and making a statement."
Sheriff Chitwood said many minors now have gun crimes as their first offense.
Right now, there are 20 minors on probation for having a gun in Volusia. Chitwood said when compared to other counties, this is significantly higher and concerning.
The sheriff and several others across the state knew it was time for something to change. As of July 1, the penalty charge for a minor found with a gun is a third-degree felony. It used to be a misdemeanor charge.
There are several other changes made.
"We can now petition the courts to hold that juvenile in secure custody for more than 21 days," he added. "And upon release, we can request an ankle monitor ... Their probation parole and curfew violations are much stricter in there. "
Chitwood says in some cases, the court required the teens to write an apology letter to be released. Now, they won't be getting off as easy as before.
"That preempts a judge from telling a gun-toting juvenile to write an essay of 100 words and why you should be carrying a gun," he said. "I mean, are you kidding me? That's crazy. So now, if a judge withholds adjudication, they have to explain in writing why they withheld adjudication further.
According to the new law, a minor who is found with a gun and commits their first offense can serve up to five days in a secure detention facility and complete 100 hours of community service.
For a second offense, minors are required to serve at least 21 days in a secure detention facility and perform between 100 and 250 hours of community service.
For a third violation, a minor should be adjudicated delinquent and committed to a residential program.
These are all measures the sheriff can only hope make a difference.
"They're really not going to think about the consequences 'till that's too late. And then they're going to realize what the consequences were," he said.
The sheriff's office has several resources for parents and teens to make sure they don't fall into criminal behavior again.