Elf Busts Fast Drivers

Dec. 9, 2006 — -- Police in Orange County, Fla., have created a special holiday season speed trap -- an elf cop armed with a radar gun and a citation pad.

The elf, Deputy Officer Richard Lockman Jr. of the Orange County Sheriff's Department, holds a sign that says, "Help an Elf; Slow Down," while aiming a radar gun at oncoming traffic.

The idea came to the department just by looking at Lockman, Ken Wynne, commander of the sheriff's department, told "Good Morning America Weekend Edition."

"We always try to do things creative[ly] to make a difference, to slow people down, especially during the holidays," Wynne said. "One day, we were sitting around we looked at Deputy Lockman and said, 'Let's put him in an elf suit.'"

Lockman, a 32-year veteran of the force, said he didn't mind.

"Seeing as I'm the shortest one in the unit, I don't mind having a little fun," he said. "Why not?"

The idea has been very successful, Lockman said. One day, the department handed out 180 tickets and made three arrests.

Wynne said he's not worried about accusations of entrapment.

"Entrapment means that you're making them do something they wouldn't normally do," he said. "This laser gun will get you before you see the elf."

Even Santa, who would have to travel around 650 miles per second to cover the entire world in one night, wouldn't get a pass from Wynne.

"If he's on our roadways, we will [pull him over]," he said. "But if I know Santa, he's above us, and we'll never see him."