New Jersey Officer Disguises Himself as Shrub, Catches 74 Distracted Drivers

This traffic sting was anything but a garden-variety operation.

In New Jersey, a police officer dressed head-to-toe like a shrub on Wednesday helped catch more than 70 distracted drivers along a busy roadway.

The Dunellen Police Department said it used the leafy disguise as part of an undercover distracted-driving enforcement detail in the Middlesex County borough, sharing details of the unusual operation in a social media post.

Over the course of six hours, the campaign — aimed at enforcing New Jersey’s handheld cellphone law and improving road safety — led to 74 citations for motorists accused of being distracted by their devices.

“Our ‘shrub’ was busy. We issued 74 citations to drivers distracted by their devices in a six-hour window,” the department said in its statement.

Under state law, drivers are barred from using a handheld cellphone or electronic device behind the wheel, with first-time offenders facing fines ranging from $200 to $400.

Images from the enforcement effort showed an officer camouflaged in scruffy greenery, using binoculars to watch for drivers whose attention had drifted from the road.

Police also used the stunt to deliver a clear warning to motorists: “Let this be a reminder: That text or notification can wait. Keep your eyes on the road, not your screen!”