History Main / CluelessDeputy

* Barney Fife, of ''Series/TheAndyGriffithShow'', is perhaps the paradigmatic example of this trope.

* Euclid Baker, in ''Film/{{Tank}}'', a bullying weasel who also gets slapped around by his boss, Cyrus Buelton.

* ''Series/{{Psych}}'': Detective Carlton "Lassie" Lassiter is a borderline case: he's very much a competent policeman who's earned his place as the agency's head detective. The biggest problem is that he's the no-nonsense StraightMan while the protagonist is a BunnyEarsLawyer who only succeeds ''because'' he's so unorthodox. Lassie is hence the easiest mark for Shawn's antics, which puts him in the unfortunate position of being the dumbest of the core cast.

* Adachi is this to Dojima in ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'', mostly by saying too much and not really making the connections between the victims. [[spoiler:As with some of the other spoilered examples above, this is because he's really the bad guy, using ObfuscatingStupidity to deliberately throw suspicion and hinder the investigation.]]

* Droop-a-Long Coyote was the deputy to Sheriff ([[CatchPhrase ping-ping-ping]]) Richochet Rabbit in ''WesternAnimation/RicochetRabbitAndDroopALongCoyote''.

* The Keystone Cops were policemen that showed up in films made by [[Creator/MackSennet Mack Sennet's]] Keystone Studios (thus the name). As Keystone specialized in slapstick comedy, it was only natural that they were incompetent fools to a man.

* Deputy Tevetino in Season 2 of ''Series/DirkGentlysHolisticDetectriveAgency'' is a stoner who only took the job because the sheriff is her best friend and she wanted to hang out with him.

* Sheriff Fuller's head deputy Ernie in ''Film/SomeGuyWhoKillsPeople''. Arriving at the first crime scene, where the victim has [[AnAxeToGrind a hatchet buried in his skull]], the sheriff makes a comment about having 'a splitting headache'. Thinking the sheriff as making a pun, Ernie proceeds to make a HurricaneOfPuns about axes, to the sheriff's growing bewilderment. And, according to the sheriff, his other two deputies are even worse.

** After Barney's departure from the show, the character of Warren Ferguson was introduced in an unsuccessful attempt to [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute fill the same role]].

* Randy Disher from ''Series/{{Monk}}''. A few episodes show that while he's a good cop he simply isn't prepared to deal with the sort of cases that Monk gets. Other episodes... [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} not so much]].

* Patrolman A.C. "Sparkplug" Bensonn who fills the role of ComicRelief in ''Film/TheTownThatDreadedSundown'', and whose antics create some extreme MoodWhiplash in an otherwise serious film.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Fillmore}}'': In the episode where Fillmore visits his old partner in Tennessee, the CorruptHick Safety Patrol sheriff has a Clueless Deputy who's among the few non-corrupt members of the Safety Patrol.

In its benign form, this just makes the Clueless Deputy TheWatson for their boss, or the protagonist detective. But it can rapidly [[{{Flanderization}} slide downhill]] until the deputy acts like an idiot. Generally, the deputy has some redeeming qualities, such as [[DumbIsGood incorruptibility]], shooting skills or at least the willingness to serve in a dangerous job for low pay, but if the sheriff is a CorruptHick, the clueless deputy may simply be a [[{{Nepotism}} relative who needed a job.]]

On rare occasions, the clueless deputy of a CorruptHick sheriff is unaware of their superior's criminal activities, and when incontrovertible evidence is presented, will arrest the crook to preserve law and order in the county.

* Lassie (Det. Lassiter) from ''Series/{{Psych}}'' is a borderline case: not nearly as outrageously stupid as most of the characters listed here, he's still distinctly, and by a fair margin, the dumbest of the major characters, mostly used to provide a very easy mark for Shawn's antics. He also faces the problem of incompetent bosses.

* In Disney's version of ''WesternAnimation/RobinHood'', the vultures [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Nutsy]] and [[TriggerHappy Trigger]] play this straight and subvert it, respectively. The sheriff himself isn’t exactly incompetent, but he’s complacent, whereas Trigger is ProperlyParanoid.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Film -- Animated]]

[[folder:Film -- Live Action]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]

** Tommy in ''A Crack in the Lens'' is earnest, and brave, but a bit gullible and impressionable.

* Every now and then in the ''Film/LakePlacid'' movies. The Dale from the second film stands out, being tougher than usual, but not appearing to know about Freedom of Speech (or maybe he just doesn't care) and condescendingly boasting about having tied a secure knot around the crocodiles mouth [[InstantlyProvenWrong right before it breaks loose and eats him]].

[[folder:Anime And Manga]]

[[folder:Film - Animated]]
* In Disney's version of ''WesternAnimation/RobinHood'', the vultures [[CloudCuckoolander Nutsy]] and [[TriggerHappy Trigger]] play this straight and subvert it, respectively. The sheriff himself isn’t exactly incompetent, but he’s complacent, whereas Trigger is ProperlyParanoid.

[[folder:Film - Live Action]]

-->'''Doyle''': Hey, Lieutenant, where are you taking Ipkiss?
-->'''Kellaway''': [[PigLatin Ixnay!]] Ehay's otgay an ungay! ''(Stanley jabs the gun into his side)'' OW!
-->'''Doyle''': Oh, I get it! Pig Latin, right? ''[thinks]'' [[ComicallyMissingThePoint Eesay... ouyay... aterlay!]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* On ''Series/BabylonFive'', Garibaldi was occasionally assisted by a security guard named Jack, who came off this way, particularly when going through their investigation in the first season finale. [[spoiler: [[ObfuscatingStupidity This was because Jack was The Mole]] and was willfully hindering Garibaldi's investigation.]]

* Brett Mobley from ''Series/{{Eagleheart}}'' can't read and is more often used as a club than a police officer by Marshal Chris Monsanto. [[spoiler: It's all ObfuscatingStupidity designed to torment Chris, of course: Brett is actually ''{{Satan}}''.]]

* The Ferg in ''Series/{{Longmire}}'' is something of a joke in the sheriff's office, as Walt employed him as a favour to his father. However, while he is not much of a street cop, the later seasons do show him to be a canny investigator.
* ''Series/TheMisadventuresOfSheriffLobo''. The eponymous Sheriff is assisted by Deputy Perkins, who is so incompetent he only keeps his job due to {{nepotism}}, and "Birdie" Hawkins, who is quite capable but a NaiveNewcomer who doesn't realise how corrupt Lobo is.

* Randy Disher from ''Series/{{Monk}}''. A few episodes show that while he's a good cop he simply isn't prepared to deal with the sort of cases that Monk gets. Other episodes...[[CloudCuckoolander not so much]].

[[folder:Film]]

* WhiteyWinn in ''Literature/{{Godless}}'', to a degree. He is a much more competent fighter than the sheriff, but in any other context, he is rather bumbling.

-->''"There once was a Deputy named Fife,''\\

* Muller from ''Series/MysteryRoad'' comes off as this. He is even accused of being a mole because of how much he hinders the investigation in the first season.