Police in Dunellen, New Jersey, hid an officer in a ghillie suit beside a leafy tree to spot drivers using hand‑held phones; the operation produced 74 citations in six hours. The department’s post included a photo of another person wearing a "Not a Cop" T‑shirt, underscoring how distracted some motorists were. Studies link phone distraction to more rear‑end crashes, and the IIHS has noted that weak enforcement can weaken the effect of phone laws.
Undercover 'Bush' Cop Busts 74 Drivers for Phone Use in Six Hours
Cop dressed as a plant looks for distracted drivers
If you drive through suburban Dunellen, New Jersey, and spot what looks like a bush holding binoculars, you’re not imagining things — you’re being reminded to pay attention to the road.
To crack down on illegal hand-held phone use, the Dunellen Borough Police Department used an unconventional tactic: an officer dressed in a sniper‑style ghillie suit stood beside a leafy tree on a busy street and watched for drivers holding phones in violation of the statewide ban. According to a department Facebook post, the operation produced 74 distracted‑driving citations in six hours.
Dunellen Borough Police Department via Facebook
Dunellen Borough Police Department via Facebook
The post also shows a person with a walkie‑talkie wearing a "Not a Cop" T‑shirt — a detail that highlights how many drivers were too distracted to notice obvious cues. That inattention is the real danger: drivers engrossed in phones often miss marked patrol cars, unmarked officers or everyday hazards on the road.
Why This Matters
Distracted driving remains a serious safety problem. Modern vehicles introduce multiple potential distractions — from driver‑assist systems that can give a false sense of security to increasingly complex infotainment and dashboard controls. Still, the reflex to glance at a phone when a notification sounds is common across vehicle types and has been linked to higher rates of rear‑end collisions and speeding.
In a 2022 study, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) cited weak enforcement of California’s anti‑phone law — in part due to vague wording — as one reason that state saw elevated rear‑end collision rates compared with its neighbors. The study underscores a simple point: laws alone often do not deter unsafe behavior unless they are enforced effectively.
Whether or not the ghillie‑suit tactic is theatrical, it produced tangible results and drew attention to a persistent safety problem. For most drivers, the easiest and safest choice remains the simplest: put the phone down while behind the wheel.
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