Miller Talley from Central Kitsap has been selected as “Sheriff For a Day” by the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, an honor recognizing children with life-threatening or chronic illnesses.

As part of the program, Talley will receive a custom sheriff’s uniform and participate in parades and community events.

For his mother, Kari Dee, the recognition is meaningful. “Miller is a very special kid—so full of love, kindness and joy. This is more than just a title—it’s a way for people to see and celebrate how amazing he is,” she said.

Talley, who is nonverbal and experiences significant developmental delays, has yet to receive a formal diagnosis. His family has been working with specialists for years to determine the cause of his medical challenges.

“Miller is a medical anomaly,” Dee said. “His specialists have told us that based on his condition, he should not have survived past the age of 2. We just got approval for full gene testing to look for any misspellings in his DNA that could give us answers.”

Dee first learned about Talley’s selection from an email from his teacher, Mary Brennan at Cottonwood Elementary School, followed by a call from the sheriff’s office. Shortly after, detective Amy LaFontaine and program organizer Penelope Sapp visited the family.

“He has to work hard to do things most of us don’t even think about, like climbing stairs or putting on shoes. He does it all with a smile on his face,” Brennan said.

She described Talley as someone who naturally draws people in. “Everybody is his friend,” she said. “He finds the most simple things so exciting, like going for a drive or riding the bus home.”

While the sheriff’s office selects its local honorees, the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission hosts a statewide celebration Aug. 28.

“They do all the heavy lifting; we just select the children,” said Penelope Snapp, chief of Corrections for the Kitsap sheriff’s office. “It’s referred to as ‘Chief for a Day,’ but because we are a sheriff’s office, we have little sheriffs.”

The sheriff’s office extends the experience far beyond that one day. Over the next few months, Talley will ride in several parades: May 17 – Armed Forces and Viking Fest parades; June 29 – Fathoms O’ Fun Parade; July 4 – Kingston Fourth of July Parade; July 26 – Whaling Days Parade.

“Kitsap does things a little differently,” Sapp said, “We also like to stop by their school and have lunch with them. It makes the child feel extra special.”

Despite all of his challenges, Talley, age 11, understands everything happening around him and communicates in his own way. He has an undeniable enthusiasm for the world, especially emergency vehicles like police cars, fire trucks and ambulances. “Anytime he sees a police car or fire truck, he gets so excited. So for him, riding in a sheriff’s vehicle during parades is going to be mind-blowing,” Dee said.

Sapp said the sheriff’s office works closely with local school districts to identify honorees.

“Aimee and I went to meet Miller a few weeks back and fell in love with him. He is such a sweet child and loves cars, especially ones with lights and sirens. He could hardly contain himself when he saw Aimee’s patrol car.”

Asked what he’s most excited about, Talley had a simple answer, “I want to ride in the cars.” If he could make one law, his response was, “Free Pepsi for everyone!”

For his family, the experience is about inclusion. “Not all kids get seen. Many are overlooked. But Miller is seen, and that means everything,” Dee said. “This is an opportunity for him to feel special and celebrated, just like any other child.”

She thanked the sheriff’s office for making it all possible. “Miller doesn’t get to play baseball or join a sports team where a coach tells him how awesome he is. But through this, he gets that kind of attention, and that means so much to our family.”