It's like something out of a cartoon. A New Jersey police officer disguised himself as a bush to catch motorists using their phones behind the wheel, helping issue 74 citations in just six hours.
The Dunellen Borough Police Department carried out the unusual distracted-driving crackdown on Wednesday, July 29.
Photos shared by the department showed an officer wearing a leafy ghillie suit and watching passing vehicles through binoculars while another wore a shirt that said "not a cop."
“Did you spot our ‘shrub’ today If you had your head buried in your phone, probably not,” police wrote on social media.
The operation targeted drivers violating New Jersey’s handheld cellphone law. A first offense can carry a fine of between $200 and $400, according to the New York Post.
Despite the viral images, police clarified that the officer did not spend the entire six-hour operation hiding in shrubbery.
“To address the elephant, or shrub, in the room, our officer didn’t wear a ghillie suit during the entire enforcement detail,” Detective Sergeant Nicholas Goldman told CBS News.
“The photo was a creative, lighthearted way to draw attention to our safety efforts on social media.”
Goldman explained that despite the department’s playful approach, distracted driving is a significant concern in the one-square-mile town.
“While it was a fun thing, the underlying mission is incredibly serious,” he said. “For a one-square-mile town, we have a relatively high number of accidents, and we were looking for a unique enforcement method.”
Traffic safety patrolman Kevin Condis said officers frequently spot drivers holding their phones to follow GPS directions or make FaceTime calls. Some were even allegedly holding their devices with both hands while steering with their knees.
Police urged motorists to keep their attention on the road, writing: “That text or notification can wait. Keep your eyes on the road, not your screen!”46:T136d, It’s like something o
