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Stealth cops sneak
up on violators

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Star-Bulletin staff

Time restrictions keep police officers in unmarked police vehicles from trolling the highways as much as they'd like.

But they're still out there, as more than two hundred ticketed motorists can attest.

Officers began using unmarked cars on the highways in August to try to reduce traffic-collision and fatality rates and to encourage drivers to self-regulate their behavior.

Capt. Bryan Wauke of the traffic division said he can't measure the program's effectiveness, but civilian awareness of the program has increased, which was what the department had been hoping to accomplish.

"We're trying to change people's driving attitude," he said.

So far, however, the number of traffic collisions hasn't gone down.

The program has been made a priority and will be increased when more personnel are available. Right now, Wauke said officers are averaging two- to three-hour operations four times a week.

"They could be anywhere, H-1, H-2, H-3," Wauke said.

Since the program began, officers have issued 203 citations and made 15 arrests. According to Wauke, most drivers were pulled over on the Pearl City side of the island.

The most common offense is speeding, with 188 citations given, he said. "The others would be for unsafe lane changes," he said.

Four arrests were for driving under the influence.

Officers in the unmarked cars radio motorcycle officers when they need to pull someone over. Wauke said they enjoy the anonymity.

"They like it because that's the way they can observe the violations, whereas if you're in a marked vehicle, you see a change in behavior," he said.