14th May 2010, 12:48 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Brisbane
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|  Kiwi Cops Take to the Trees
Covert ops for Kiwi cops as they take video cameras up trees to bust motorists. Tree top surveillance necessary deception | Stuff.co.nz Quote:
Following 22 deaths on their roads so far this year, police in the central districts have come up with a cunning plan to catch dangerous drivers.
A police superintendent says the covert operation will include hiding officers up trees with video cameras to catch dangerous drivers – a special branch, as it were.
This is a bold move, considering that police bosses stopped the use of hidden speed cameras and officers to catch speeding drivers in 2004 after criticism and claims of revenue grabbing.
The central districts operation will target offences including careless and dangerous driving, slow driving, failing to keep left and dangerous overtaking.
Officers will video motorists and phone ahead any transgressions to officers waiting further along the road.
Superintendent Russell Gibson, of Central Districts police, says he makes no apology for "hiding" the officers in trees and says if it will stop the blatant disregard for the road rules that is claiming lives almost daily, then it is justified.
The Automobile Association says it supports any initiatives to improve road safety but does not approve of covert operations. The AA argues that it's not productive for the relationship between the police and motorists if motorists feel they're being subjected to entrapment in any way
The New Zealand public, it would appear, disagree. A poll on the Stuff website asked if police should use covert tactics to nab dangerous drivers? Of the more than 8000 respondents this morning, 70 per cent said it was justifiable and safe drivers had nothing to fear.
Supt Gibson is correct when he says any means of reducing the carnage on the roads is justified. And if motorists know that they could be nabbed by the officers hiding in the leafy boughs of roadside trees then perhaps they will be more inclined to drive responsibly.
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