New Jersey Police Officer Disguises Himself as a Shrub, Busts 74 Distracted Drivers in Six Hours

A New Jersey police department went undercover to catch distracted drivers, and the internet cannot get enough.

The Dunellen Police Department shared a Facebook post on Wednesday, July 29, with the caption: “Did you spot our ‘shrub’ today? If you had your head buried in your phone, probably not!”

Per the post, the department conducted the enforcement operation on the 100 block of North Washington Avenue, an area with heavy vehicle and pedestrian traffic, with the goal of enforcing New Jersey’s handheld cellphone law and increasing safety in the community. Police issued the citations during a six-hour span.

According to the social media post, “The results? Our ‘shrub’ was busy. We issued 74 citations to drivers distracted by their devices in a six-hour window. Let this be a reminder: That text or notification can wait. Keep your eyes on the road, not your screen!”

The department’s unusual enforcement strategy drew a mix of amused reactions on social media. “How do you sign up to be a shrub? Asking for a friend,” one person wrote in the comment section. Another joked, “He needs to make like a tree and leave! lol,” while someone else quipped, “Operation: Bushwhacked…?”

Not everyone was amused, however. Several people argued the tactic amounted to entrapment. “How is this not entrapment?” one Facebook user asked, while another wrote, “By dressing as a bush they are distracting drivers…the thing they are ticketing for, entrapment at its finest. Judge may throw out many of these tickets.”

Others accused the department of chasing revenue over safety, with one person writing, “So you are making a problem, by distracting drivers, to collect money for the city?”

Still, plenty of residents said they’d like to see the shrub — and more traffic enforcement — return to their own streets, with several commenters requesting similar crackdowns on speeding and crosswalk violations nearby.