PORT TOWNSEND — At 2 feet, 2 inches tall, the Police Department’s newest recruit is really just half a man.
But he works cheap.
Officer Bob started traffic patrol last Friday.
Despite his shortcomings and lack of equipment — his radar gun is a hair dyer — Bob is having a significant effect on traffic in Port Townsend.
“We’ve gotten so many calls since Friday thanking us for having him out there,” Police Chief Kristen Anderson said. “It’s working well.
Officer Bob Wire is Port Townsend’s first faux police officer, and perhaps the first of his kind on the Peninsula.
Made of chicken wire and papier-m^ocché, he is the creation of Jean Marzan, a member of a citizens group formed earlier this year to address the problem of cars speeding through Port Townsend neighborhoods.
Working with David Timmons, city manager, and Ken Clow, public works director, the group has come up with a grass-roots plan to improve what Clow has identified 13 areas with chronic traffic problems in Port Townsend.
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