Police in Dunellen, New Jersey, have been disguising themselves as bushes to catch drivers using their phones, and the operation proved highly successful, with 74 citations issued in a single day.
Shrubbery Sting Operation
Officers were photographed in full-body bush outfits in a "highly-trafficked, pedestrian heavy" part of town. The creative camouflage was designed to catch motorists violating New Jersey's Handheld Cell Phone Law.
The Dunellen Police Department posted about the operation on Facebook, boasting that 74 citations were handed out during a six-hour window. The post, which received over a thousand likes, read: "Did you spot our 'shrub' today? If you had your head buried in your phone, probably not!"
Operation Details
The sting took place on the 100 block of North Washington Ave, a downtown area chosen for its high foot traffic. In addition to the bush disguise, an officer wore a T-shirt reading 'Not a cop' as part of the operation.
The department's Facebook post explained: "Today, the Dunellen Police Department conducted a Distracted Driving Enforcement Detail... We specifically chose this highly-trafficked, pedestrian-heavy downtown area to enforce New Jersey's Handheld Cell Phone Law and protect our community."
Impact and Response
The exercise is part of New Jersey's broader efforts to combat distracted driving, which officials link to about 50 percent of crashes in the state since 2016.
In a statement, Dunellen Police defined distracted driving as "any activity that diverts attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system — anything that takes your attention away from the task of safe driving."
Social media users praised the scheme's creativity, with one commenting: "Interesting. Thats a start. Good job, guys" and another adding: "Nice camouflage job!"
