Grinch Costume Offers Onions Instead of Tickets at Key Largo School

Colonel Lou Caputo, who recently retired from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, donned a Grinch costume on Friday at Key Largo School to run a holiday traffic awareness detail that blended theater with enforcement. Working alongside active duty deputies who clocked passing cars, Caputo offered drivers going five miles per hour or less over the posted school zone speed limit a choice, citation or onion. Deputies first checked vehicle license plates and driver’s licenses, and if everything was in order the Grinch then appeared to make the offer.

Caputo launched the Grinch speed enforcement project more than 20 years ago after seeing the 2000 film How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and he said the appearance typically startles drivers. He reported that virtually all drivers choose the onion over the ticket, and on Friday one woman even bit into an onion in front of him. The program is explicitly educational, and Caputo framed it in seasonal terms, saying, “We educate people during the holidays to come through the school zone, but slow it down a little bit, pay attention, because in the holiday season, people are distracted.” He also emphasized that drivers who preferred a citation could still receive one, saying, “We don’t want to force anybody to take an onion if they don’t like onions, if you prefer the citation, we can give you that citation.”

Though playful, the patrol underscores a policy choice about how local law enforcement addresses school zone safety. The detail redirected time and attention from issuing automatic tickets to active engagement with motorists, a community oriented tactic that stresses compliance through education rather than immediate financial penalty. Caputo said he continues the effort in retirement because, “I think working with the Sheriff’s Department is important to continue the tradition of educating motorists and reminding them to slow down for kids.”

For Monroe County residents, the campaign serves as a reminder that school zone safety is enforced and monitored, particularly during busy holiday travel. The program also reflects broader community policing trends that balance deterrence with outreach, a dynamic that can influence local enforcement priorities and the allocation of patrol resources in coming years.