New Jersey police officer dressed as a shrub catches 74 drivers on their phones within six hours

An officer disguised as a shrubbery along a heavily trafficked, pedestrian-heavy area in the city’s downtown district issued a whopping 74 violations for distracted driving in just six hours, catching drivers checking their phone as they were behind the wheel.

The sting took place on July 29 and the department touted its effectiveness that afternoon on Facebook.

“Did you spot our ‘shrub’ today? If you had your head buried in your phone, probably not!” the department wrote. “Today, the Dunellen Police Department conducted a Distracted Driving Enforcement Detail on the 100 block of North Washington Ave. We specifically chose this highly-trafficked, pedestrian-heavy downtown area to enforce New Jersey’s Handheld Cell Phone Law and protect our community.”

Dunellen is one of 126 cities in New Jersey to receive a grant from the state’s Office of the Attorney General for the “Put the Phone Away or Pay” campaign earlier this year. The Dunellen chief of police, however, said the shrub disguise was not funded by that grant.

‘Not a cop’

In addition to Officer Shrub, the Facebook post also included another picture of another policeman standing on a bench beside the road, walkie-talkie in hand, wearing a shirt with the words “Not a Cop” spread across his chest in all capital letters.

There’s no word on how many of the texting drivers he caught, nor whether his total was included in the 74 citations.

There’s also no indication if this was a one-time operation or if Dunellen will continue to send officers out wearing ghillie suits to catch drivers on their phones, though given the success rate, it’s hard to imagine they won’t.

Don’t text and drive

New Jersey, like many other states, has made it illegal to hold a cellphone while operating a vehicle. (The practice is only still fully allowed in Montana.) Some 42% of all crashes in New Jersey in 2024 involved a distracted driver, which is often (but not always) tied to cell phone usage.

Drivers who violate this directive face fines that range anywhere from $200 to $400 for the first offense, $400 to $600 for their second and as much as $800 for subsequent offenses, as well as three points on your license. All violations require the person receiving the citation to go to court.

While it’s unlikely the officer who spotted the people caught in this sting will show up for court wearing the shrub outfit, we can always hope that happens.