Kindergarten Cop Turns Traffic Cop

Dec. 14, 2006 — -- Officer Delicious is a leading man in Operation Red Light, patrolling the streets of West Palm Beach, Fla., in a black mini-skirt, fishnet stockings and size-14 ladies' boots that rise to the top of his burly calves.

"Of course I have to accessorize with a necklace and a reflective watch," said the kindergarten cop-turned-traffic cop who, 10 years ago, gave up an acting career to enter law enforcement.

"I pick out my outfits in shops all over the city," he said. "All the sales ladies know me."

His real name is Terry Golden, a middle-aged police officer who uses theatrical methods to deter drivers from running red lights and speeding.

Working in a part-public-awareness, part-undercover operation run by the West Palm Beach Police Department, Golden sees his role as two-fold: Those who know his outlandish garb are reminded not to break the law; unsuspecting scofflaws are ticketed.

Several times a year he dons his favorite women's dresses and stands at busy intersections with a laser gun. When he sees scofflaws, he radios ahead to uniformed officers.

The towering patrolman has particular trouble finding the right-sized clothing, so he often goes to Lane Bryant "for big ladies" and to a risqué Fort Lauderdale boutique for his boots.

"You don't want to know what else they sell there," he laughs. "They sell to ladies of the night, day and midday -- you name it!"

Golden enjoys working in disguise, say fellow officers in the 300-person West Palm Beach police force. Traffic violations are a top priority, and just this week, Golden caught 100 speeders in one morning.

"I have a whole bunch of different clothing," said Golden. "When I get home, I mix and match and see what works. I get excited just thinking about the possibilities. I like the anticipation to build up. When I put together an outfit, I don't look until other people see me. I use them as my mirror."

Golden got his stage name from a passerby the first day on the undercover dragnet.

"A guy stopped at the light on the corner and said, 'You look good enough to eat - delicious,'" said Golden. "It kind of stuck."

Officer Delicious acquired his dramatic flair from earlier days acting in films and television ads. He had small roles with Tom Selleck in the 1989 film "An Innocent Man" and with Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1990's "Kindergarten Cop." In that movie, Golden played one of the druggies on the sofa in the party pooper scene.