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TORREY, Wayne County — In Wayne County, being a dummy may be an advantage if you’re trying to go into law enforcement.
Former Wayne County Sheriff Kurt Taylor just retired and decided to retire “Deputy Parker Bogus Dolittle” along with him. The new sheriff, Dan Jensen, was sworn in Monday and is on the hunt for a new deputy.
The new officer will not need any certifications or qualifications. They won’t even be carrying a gun or giving out citations. There’s just one important qualifier — they need to be a mannequin.
Dolittle, a mannequin, was acquired 16 years ago after being created by Monica Bryan, a Loa seamstress and artist who has worked in Capitol Reef. Wayne County only has six full-time deputies and a sheriff to do police work, so they would post Dolittle in a police car at strategic locations around Wayne County to deter travelers from speeding through small towns, according to the Wayne County Sheriff's Office. The dummy helped free up the tiny police department to focus on other important work.
For individuals who live in or frequent state Road 24, Torrey and Capitol Reef, Dolittle’s cruiser is a familiar sight. They keep the vehicle moving around a variety of thoughtful locations to keep people on their toes and, primarily, to make tourists think twice about speeding in their communities.
Since Sheriff Taylor’s retirement, the cruiser has been in use without a mannequin. Taylor decided to keep Dolittle as a memento of his service, so the car has remained empty. Everyone in the area knows about the dummy, and during his absence, locals have been putting fake flowers on the deputy’s car to honor him, according to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office.
New Sheriff Jensen is searching for a new mannequin to replace Dolittle, officials said, and then they will have a countywide contest to see what they’ll name it.
