Chief Wiggum: Springfield's police chief

CharacterChief Wiggum

"If there's trouble, call the police… unless it's an emergency": Clancy Wiggum's motto sums up the state of security in Springfield. Donuts wolfed down on duty, a badge reading "cash bribes only", officers Lou and Eddie sharper than their boss, fatherhood of Ralph: it is all here, right down to the nod in his name, borrowed from Matt Groening's mother. A complete tour of the most useless — and funniest — cop on the show.

If there's trouble, call the police… unless it's an emergency. With Clancy Wiggum at its head, Springfield's safety is in very bad hands.

Lazy, corrupt and unable to resist a donut, the police chief is one of the tastiest supporting characters in the show. Here is the profile of a not exactly exemplary cop.

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Who is Chief Wiggum?

Clancy Wiggum is the chief of the Springfield police. Incompetent, lazy, cowardly and corrupt, he pushes the buffoon-cop cliché to its limit: under his leadership, investigations never go anywhere and criminals sleep soundly. A small nod from his creators, his surname is the maiden name of Matt Groening's mother, and he was drawn to look like a pig. Which is to say that the local mob, led by boss Fat Tony, can rest easy.

Even so, Wiggum remains an endearing character, a mix of crass stupidity and good nature, who regularly crosses paths with the Simpson family.

💤 Under Chief Wiggum, Fat Tony and his mob can sleep soundly, figuratively speaking; you get to enjoy that investigation-free sleep for real, curled up on your couch in our Simpsons blankets.

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Donuts, laziness and corruption

If there is one thing Wiggum takes seriously, it is donuts: he wolfs them down in any circumstance, including in the middle of "duty". The rest of the time, he combines laziness, incompetence and unabashed petty corruption — to the point that the show gives him a badge reading "cash bribes only". The result: repeat offenders like Snake get away without difficulty.

His famous motto sums it all up: "If there's trouble, call the police… unless it's an emergency." Hard to be less reassuring for a chief of law enforcement.

📱 Wiggum is fine with you calling the police, “unless it's an emergency”: when trouble strikes, your phone won't save you from anything, so at least protect it from drops with our Simpsons iPhone cases.

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Ralph's father and his team

Wiggum is also the father of Ralph Wiggum, the wide-eyed and disconcerting schoolboy, and the husband of Sarah. At the station, he is backed up by two officers, Lou and Eddie, regularly presented as far smarter and more competent than their boss — Lou in particular playing the voice of reason against Wiggum's absurdities.

Between Bart's escapades and Homer's troubles, the Springfield police station is never really short of work — even if its chief would often rather finish his donut.

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Chief Wiggum's voice actors

In the original version, Wiggum is voiced by Hank Azaria, who built him a voice inspired by actor Edward G. Robinson. In the French version, he has had the same succession of performers as Mr. Burns or Skinner: Michel Modo, then Gérard Rinaldi, and finally Xavier Fagnon from season 23 on.

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Summary table

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FAQ

• Who is Chief Wiggum?
  Clancy Wiggum, the incompetent and corrupt chief of the Springfield police, and the father of Ralph Wiggum.
• Why is Wiggum always eating donuts?
  It is one of his running gags: his appetite for donuts symbolizes his laziness and his lack of seriousness at work.
• Who are Lou and Eddie?
  The two police officers who back Wiggum up, often more clear-headed and competent than their boss.
• Who voices Chief Wiggum in French?
  Michel Modo, then Gérard Rinaldi, and finally Xavier Fagnon from season 23 on.

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Conclusion

Paunchy, idle and irresistibly stupid, Chief Wiggum is the perfect caricature of the cop who serves no purpose — and that is precisely what makes him so funny. In Springfield, the law has a face: that of a man with a donut in his hand.

🥿 In Springfield, the law wears the face of a paunchy cop, donut in hand, who would often rather finish his donut than deal with the station's cases; at home, you can take that break with zero guilt, your feet kept warm in our Simpsons slippers.

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