Disguised as Bushes: Police Sting Catches Distracted Drivers

Police in New Jersey disguised themselves as trees and bushes to catch drivers using phones, issuing 74 tickets in six hours. The operation took place in Dunellen, where officers sat on stools camouflaged with foliage, some in ghillie suits. Fines escalate with each offense: $200 for the first, $400 for the second, and $600 for the third.

Police in New Jersey disguised themselves as trees and bushes to catch drivers using their phones, issuing 74 tickets in just six hours during a crackdown on distracted driving. The operation took place in the town of Dunellen, New Jersey. According to the American automotive magazine Car and Driver, officers sat on stools camouflaged with foliage, and some wore ghillie suits, typically used by snipers and hunters. Police explained that the operation focused on a main street due to heavy traffic, many pedestrians, and several recent accidents. The goal was to enforce the law banning holding a phone while driving and remind drivers that messages and notifications can wait until the trip ends. Photos from the operation posted on social media drew significant attention. One shows an officer sitting on a stool wearing a shirt that reads "I'm not a cop." Another captured an officer in a green ghillie suit holding binoculars. The camouflage allowed officers to closely spot drivers holding phones or glancing at screens—offenses harder to detect from a patrol car. Fines in New Jersey escalate with each offense: $200 for the first, $400 for the second, and $600 for the third. Drivers with three offenses may also lose their license for up to 90 days. This is not the first time police have used disguises and unconventional observation points to catch distracted drivers. In San Bernardino, California, officers once posed as panhandlers to catch drivers texting at red lights; in Canada, officers posed as construction workers and cyclists; and in Maryland, garbage trucks served as elevated observation posts. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), drivers looking at screens while driving are 7.8 times more likely to be the rear-ending vehicle in a chain-reaction crash compared to driving without distraction. Dunellen police hope the unusual operation sends a clear message: keep your eyes on the road, not on the screen.