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Stealthy cops
crack down on
traffic-law violators

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By Jaymes K. Song
Star-Bulletin

The Honolulu Police Department's new campaign targeting unsuspecting speeders and unlawful drivers with unmarked police cars has netted four arrests and 155 citations in its first two weeks.

Four drunken-driving arrests and 155 traffic citations were issued from Aug. 14 to Aug. 31, said Capt. Bryan Wauke of the Traffic Division. More than half of the tickets, 85, were for speeding and 21 were for making unsafe lane changes. The other violations included following too closely and one driver who passed a car using the shoulder.

"We want people to be aware we're out there," Wauke said. The program includes unmarked police cars tag-teaming with a motorcycle officer to crack down on speeders, tail-gaters and other aggressive and reckless drivers. The officer in the unmarked car witnesses the violation and radios a motorcycle officer positioned farther up the freeway to make the stop. The officer in the unmarked car will then issue the ticket.

Wauke said the 155 citations are impressive considering unmarked cars only hit the freeways for a few hours per day.

Whether the program has curbed aggressive driving won't be known for months, Wauke said. The department will examine car accident and traffic fatality numbers before knowing if the program is effective.

Using unmarked police cars is the latest program or campaign to slow down and encourage motorists to be more responsible. HPD is planning to add cameras to their arsenal by the end of the year to catch speeders and people running red lights at intersections.

Traffic fatalities have surged 52 percent this year compared to last year at the same time. Forty-seven people have died on Oahu roadways this year compared with 31 at the same time last year, according to police statistics.