Maryland police in Montgomery County are trying a new tactic to catch people who text and drive. On Tuesday morning, police officers dressed as homeless people in a bid to spot texting drivers, according to CBS affiliate WUSA.
Officers camouflaged as panhandlers stood along two Montgomery County roads, and signaled to uniformed cops further down the street when they noticed someone texting or even holding a phone while driving.
“Ultimately the law is a hands free device so it can’t even be in your hand,” Officer Brian Nave told WUSA.
Despite the disguises, the police officers were actually very honest with drivers, WTOP News reported, and held signs that read, “I am not homeless. I am a Montgomery County police officer looking for cell phone texting violations.”
According to the WUSA report, the texting and driving sting operation worked two Montgomery roads, and had up to six police officers who wrote tickets to drivers breaking the law.
“It’s smart. It’s [texting and driving] really dangerous. I’m not disagreeing,” one unidentified driver who was ticketed admitted to WUSA. (RELATED: Here’s The Autistic Teen Police Tricked Into Buying Weed)
During the first two hours of the sting operation police issued 56 tickets and 22 warnings, WTOP reported.
“If you’re using your thumbs, texting, while driving down the road it’s totally distracting, because you have to look down to see what you’re typing,” Montgomery Police Sergeant Phillip Chapin told WTOP.
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