“Deputy Sheriff Justice,” a $9,250 mascot, debuts at the Thanksgiving parade

The Sheriff’s Office debuted a mascot, Deputy Sheriff Justice, at the Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 23, 2023. The office said the character was created to “reach school age children in a more comprehensive and engaging way.”

William Bender and Ryan W. Briggs of The Inquirer later reported that the costume was paid for with two checks totaling $9,250 to Pierre’s Mascots & Costumes, drawn on the office’s off-budget fee-revenue account. That purchase is included in the nearly $2 million in discretionary purchases documented in the April 2024 entry; it is not listed separately in the money ledger.