A Dunellen Borough Police Department officer dressed as a shrub to catch drivers using phones while behind the wheel in the U.S. [1, 2].
The operation highlights the aggressive tactics law enforcement agencies are employing to curb distracted driving and enforce state cellphone laws. By using unconventional camouflage, police aim to catch violators who would otherwise ignore visible patrol cars.
The enforcement action took place on Wednesday, July 29, 2026 [4]. For six hours, the officer remained hidden in the shrubbery to monitor traffic flow in Dunellen Borough [3, 5].
During the operation, the officer issued citations to 74 drivers [1, 2]. The crackdown focused specifically on the violation of New Jersey’s cellphone-driving law, which prohibits the use of handheld devices while operating a vehicle [4, 5].
The use of a costume to conduct traffic stops is a rare approach to public safety enforcement. While most traffic operations rely on radar or high-visibility presence, this method relied on the element of surprise to identify drivers who were not paying attention to the road [1, 3].
Local authorities implemented the strategy to increase awareness of the dangers associated with distracted driving. The high number of citations issued in a single afternoon suggests a significant volume of drivers in the area continue to use mobile devices despite legal prohibitions [1, 2, 5].
“A Dunellen Borough Police Department officer dressed as a shrub to catch drivers using phones.”
This incident reflects a growing trend of 'stealth' enforcement where police use deception or camouflage to bypass the 'observer effect,' where drivers temporarily obey laws only when police are visible. While the shrub disguise may appear novelty-driven, the resulting 74 citations in six hours indicate a persistent gap between legal requirements and driver behavior regarding mobile device usage.
