New Meaning to "Tree Police"
They never had this job around when we were rookies:
Drivers could not beat around the bush when it came to being charged with distracted driving in a New Jersey suburb this week as a cop disguised himself as a shrub to spot motorists on their phones while behind the wheel.
The Dunellen police officer camouflaged himself and employed a pair of binoculars to covertly execute the distracted-driving enforcement operation in the town of 8,000 about 30 miles from New York City.
There's even a picture:
We'd agree with arguments that this is nothing more than a money grab by the Dunellen, New Jersey PD and local government (the fines start at $200 and escalate from there). But we've also seen more than enough distracted drivers hitting, injuring and killing people to say something ought to be done.
Labels: out-of-state, we got nothing
posted by SCC at 12:03 AM
47 Comments:
That clown dressing up like that, nothing but a tool,...
They'll make him the next Super...He has the mind set, = Money
No they are enforcing the law. It's so bad now that when the light changes & the 1st car realizes it, then 15-20 seconds later the 2nd car ditto, ditto ditto. The next thing you know only 6 cars go through the intersection. Cellphones for navigation, communication & entertainment are not supposed to be used when you're driving. I wish more depts. would cite & confiscate the persons phone. If you knew you may lose "your lifeline" a lot less people would be driving & texting, talking or watching videos!!! I'm a driver & it is so frustrating that between the road construction, traffic & now every person in every car is on or using their phones you can't get anywhere quickly. Don't get me started on the people who don't speak English & drive for uber & Lyft. I had a guy the other day grunt & hand me his phone & I'm guessing wanted me to add the address I wanted to go to. I don't know what language was telling him where to go (insert joke here) but it damn sure wasn't English.
I realize & have empathy for the officers who choose to "be fetal" I probably would do the same but at the end of the day some civilians (like me) would love to see accountability for these A-Hole drivers. But no consequences just means more racking up bodies. Sadly it's almost never the A-hole who caused the wreck or death. So I guess the county should buy more body bags
Officers did that in 014 in the zone all the time in the 70-90s.
Money grab for sure. Must be Barney Fife’s idea.
Citizens Arrest.
Get off the phone including everyone driving.
Do the Cop on Top dressed like this on top of a weed dispensery in Chicago.
Not a money grab, completely necessary!!!
I'm gonna go out on a limb here say that guy has clout to get that spot, someone in his family tree is connected
New Jersey is a place with one of the highest taxes in the country including the number 1 spot for highest property taxes...this is just another money grab for a shit DemoRatic run state....Im also sure this enforcement is also in a predominantly upscale white neighborhood.
As an avid motorcyclist, I support any effort to cut down on distracted driving. I see it every day, people drifting out of their lanes, sitting at green lights. Unfortunately, I have also seen cops looking at their computers and phones while driving as well. It's as if "everyone does it" makes it ok. A local high schooler clipped the back of a stopped yellow school bus at about 50 mph despite big flashing lights. It had stopped to pick up two sisters. He swerved off the shoulder and killed one of the girls. It was close to graduation and the yearbooks had to be redone as the senior driver, football star, was in the yearbook as most likely to screw up texting while driving. Probation.
The negative comments already. Must be salty that other PDs actually get to do shit.
Officer Oakley said he couldn’t carry out this operation without the help of his takedown officers , Sage Bush, Woody Cotton and Willow Tannenbaum.
The crew celebrated the days score with a cold root beer.
How many dogs peed on that guy?
Hey asshole, you'll go far in the democrat party.....Keep cheering ..RA RA RAH
...Just as long as they fill out the blue cards, okay?
Shit, you don't have to play dress up to catch these assholes 3 gotta 4 cars drivers are on the cell
Make like a tree …& Leave the “Shrub-urbs” is he waiting for a canine to christen him ?…can’t wait for the Falll , Autumn that is !
It would be funnier and more realistic if a dog pissed on his leg!!!
Radio traffic-This is 2506d squad. Im a 99 unit and standing on the parkway next to a tree and all you can see is my binoculars. Hold me down on low visibility patrol... Wait a minute, there is an offender approaching and there is a public urination in progress. A tweaker is peeing on my leg! Hold me down on for an on view arrest and some dry cleaning! Can I get an event number?
They need to do that in the above comment, that will stop the motorized vehicles on the lake front trail.
The level of self disrespect here is on another level. Only a CAPS officer could accept.
Distracted driving, self centered idiots on cellphones is a bigger problem than DUI. Do what you have to.
Distracted driving, self centered idiots on cellphones is a bigger problem than DUI. Do what you have to.
You need a therapist.
He probably has a college degree in acting, This will probably be his stepping stone to be the next police chief.Nice job Barney.
If I saw that guy in my neighborhood, i'd walk my dog past just to piss on him.
Hit the taxpayers, ignore the protected classes endless infractions.
I love this blog! First we are upset because Chicago powers to be refuse to enforce the traffic laws resulting in maybe death and injury to good citizens of the Windy City. Now we are upset when in another jurisdiction they actually take talking on one’s cellphone seriously. “It’s just a money grab” while in the same breath we argue that the problem with Chicago is that there are no consequences for, well, talking o n your cellphone while driving. Damn, being a cop really is damn if you do, damn if you don’t. And then we work clout into the scenario. I would think that tree is the junior copper on the squad. Who would want to dress like a tree? BUT on the other hand this photo probably heightened awareness, and drastically reduced the number of distracted drivers. I do miss talking to cops every day. It’s the downside of retirement.
Do they dress up a guy as a snowman during the winter.
We need this here.
🙄
The things some will do for that merit bump ! At least it beats getting down on the knees !
I bet those who received tickets wish he would leave………..
I saw a tact car in 010 years ago place a downed tree branch on top of an unmarked squad while the were doing surveillance on a drug spot
I am Groot! I am Groot!
Kind of reminds me of Spy vs Spy in Mad magazine. They do this, you do that, they do that, you do this. Counter punching at its best! Though, they'll hang him out to dry at will!
Woohoo.
Not against the enforcement but why not jeans and a t-shirt lol
No you wouldn’t, keyboard warrior.
i'm all for it, hammer them all.
Remember they used to try and find officers to dress up as McGruff the crime dog? There wasnt exactly a line waiting. Take a bite out of crime..!
That is actually Conehead being admitted to the psyche ward at the hospital.
Great job.
Has no one here seen people looking, and/or texting while driving?
How about the a-hole that's stopped at a green light looking at his phone?
The expressways are full of people weaving while looking at their phones.
8/01/2026 10:06.25, You need to get off your phone.
DNR?
Kamala for President of Somalia Says:
I used to dress up as a tree numerous times, years ago. Sometimes I posed as an apple tree, or a peach tree, alemon tree, a banana tree, a fig tree, a coconut tree, or just a tree tree, you get my point I’m surely sure I think right? . These disguises helped me to sneak in and out of Willie Brown’s house, and it worked very well, until Willie caught me wearing his Jockey Shorts and smoking his ganga cigars, and called a local tree trimming service on me. That’s when I decided to become a politician instead of becoming a Tree Surgeon. I still dress up like a tree sometimes though, but only on Halloween and even then I have to be on the alert for dogs that need to pee.
Former Seward (Alaska) police officer banned from police work (nation-wide) in plea deal for texting while driving on duty - Alaska Daily New. He busted himself on body cam while transporting a teen female prisoner - in the front seat - at night, on black ice. He played "Jailhouse Rock" for her on his phone.
Maybe as a bell-ringing Santa. Not only can he catch distracted drivers, he can collect for charity. Of course, watching Santa taze and cuff someone in one of those traffic stops that escalates might be traumatic for the kiddies.
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