WATCH: Brevard Sheriff Wayne Ivey Blasts ‘Hug-a-Thug’ System After Deputies Nail Repeat Felon With 100 Arrests

Sheriff Ivey: The Criminal Justice System Is Failing Law Enforcement and the Public

WATCH: Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey criticizes “Catch-and-Release” Justice System, citing habitual offender’s 100 prior arrests, says Catch-and-Release justice system endangers citizens and cops alike.

BREVARD SHERIFF WAYNE IVEY: We ain’t never, and I do mean never, gonna apologize for locking bad people up right where they belong. 

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – While I know you’ve heard me say many times before that the criminal justice system has often failed us, tonight let’s talk about how it’s actually failing America, our citizens, and our law enforcement officers.

Law enforcement officers who constantly put their lives on the line arresting violent offenders who are then put right back out on our streets with weak bonds or ridiculous sentences that give them chance after chance to demonstrate that they can’t behave and need to be locked up for good.

I’m talking about violent drug dealing. Repeat offenders like Mitchell George, as he is also known, who our deputies had to once again chase down earlier this week after he fled to avoid being arrested yet once again.

Folks, this guy should be under the jail as he’s been charged with over 100 crimes in his brief 41 years on earth. That’s right, 100 crimes, 58 felonies, and 47 misdemeanors with over 40 convictions.

But yet, here he is, Mr. Super Thug, out on the street for our deputies to deal with yet again. His most recent crap is fleeing from law enforcement, driving with a revoked license, resisting arrest, etc, etc., etc.

This guy has zero business, and I do mean zero business being out of but yet the criminal justice system lets him out again and again, and in doing so puts lives at risk. I mean, how many more people have to be victims of this guy?

And how many more cops have to be put in harm’s way by chasing and fighting with this guy before a judge locks his sorry butt up once and for all?

The most frightening part? It’s not just him, and this is most often the rule when it comes to dealing with criminals, not the exception.

Trust me, old repeat offender George here is just one example of how ridiculous this catch-and-release crap we call the criminal justice system has become. I mean, think about this for a minute.

George, at the time of his most recent arrest, had already been let out of jail following his arrest just a year ago, when he was put on community control, or whatever the criminal’s honor system is now called.

I guess as part of the conditions of community control, he gave a pinky promise not to leave his. But here we are, having to search for him in the woods with a helicopter after he once again violated the law and then ran to avoid arrest.

Well, thankfully, this clown is still in jail, but he is just one of many who the system keeps letting back out to violate the law and put citizens and cops at risk. Enough is enough. I’ve had it, and it’s time we, the people, say it loudly.

We have had enough with this soft-on-crime crap that keeps putting criminals back out on our streets when they should be locked up forever.

While the criminal justice system sucks, I can promise you this right now: the men and women of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of criminals that walk our streets.

And we ain’t never, and I do mean never, gonna apologize for locking bad people up right where they belong. Now it’s time for the criminal justice system to do their jobs and keep criminals like George locked behind bars.

Stop giving them ridiculous bonds, hand slaps, and whatever else we do that lets him get out and victimize again. Stop thinking that the hug-a-thug program works, and lock their sorry butts up for good.

Another great job by our deputies at getting this guy off the street yet once again. But you know I can’t help but wonder how long it’ll be before he’s back out like all the other repeat criminals.

– Sheriff Wayne Ivey

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