Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
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John Hollenhorst ReportingA somewhat wacky law enforcement technique is catching on along the Utah-Arizona border. It seems to be a success, even though the cops are a bunch of dummies.
Be careful where you drive along Highway 89; dummy cops are out there.
You know the drill. You're racing into town. Suddenly you see a cop car, so you hit the brakes. But wait a minute, there's something a little weird about that unsmiling cop, something a bit rigid about the personality, something really funky about that long arm of the law.
Cpl. Bayden Grover, Fredonia Marshall's office: "People call him Latex Larry. Some people call him Lenny. We just call him 'the dummy'."
Fredonia, Arizona, where highway 89 is safer now because of Larry. He is the city's finest.
Cpl. Grover: "Yes, absolutely. He doesn't complain, we don't have to pay him. He works very hard."
The idea has caught on just up the highway, in Glendale, Utah, and in Orderville where the dummy cop seems to have Larry beat on looks. Back in Fredonia at Judd's Auto Service, they've gotten very used to the silly questions from tourists.
Tony Judd, Judds' Auto Service: "'Why is that cop sitting there all the time?' you know, 'We drove through here 24 hours ago and come back he's still sitting there.' 'Doesn't he eat?' 'Doesn't he sleep?' "
Lillian Lukus, Judds' Auto Service: "Some of them get mad because they'll stop to ask directions and nobody will answer them. They pound on the window, hah, hah, hah."
Cpl. Grover: "There's been people that have gotten very angry, used obscene language and obscene gestures towards him."
The most notorious crime associated with this is that somebody stopped, dropped their pants, and mooned Larry. But he never batted an eye.
Cpl. Grover: "No, he didn't even radio for backup."
Maybe motorists along Highway 89 have an anger management problem, but they do tend to slow down with Latex Larry looking over their shoulder.
Lillian LUkus: "He's on the job 24 hours a day."
They don't have any way to measure Larry's success statistically, but they say cars are driving more slowly and they've had to write fewer tickets. Not bad, for a dummy.
