Police going undercover to catch cell phone drivers (Roswell, Marietta: construction, school)

[arjay57]

Excellent work by the Marietta gendarmes.

Marietta Police dressed up as a construction crew at a busy Cobb County intersection Wednesday to catch distracted drivers in the act.

Most drivers paid no attention to the road crew working at Cobb Parkway at Roswell Road, but the crew wasn't radioing in survey readings -- they were busting distracted drivers.

“What we've done here is we're able to put officers in the roads so we're able to get close enough almost inside their cars so we can look down and see exactly what they're doing on their phones,” said Marietta police Officer Nick Serkedakis.

More...Police dress up as construction workers to catch distracted drivers | www.wsbtv.com

[ajjam]

Is this legal??? If they are "undercover" do they expect people to actually stop or pull over for them?

[AnsleyPark]

Amen!!!! All for this!!!!!

[MattCW]

Oh good grief! More irresponsible overreach by the thin blue line. Yes, texting while stopped is technically a violation, but it does nothing to actually improve safety and just dumps more money into the local coffers! I wish Georgia would go to a system like either Vermont or New Hampshire where the funds are given to the state who then returns them to the counties/cities based on something like road/lane miles and population (someone else explained the system in this form) then enforcement would truly be about safety rather than whatever shiny new toy the chief wants the money for!

[netdragon]

Originally Posted by ajjam

Is this legal??? If they are "undercover" do they expect people to actually stop or pull over for them?

It's not entrapment. Entrapment would be something like an undercover cop handing them a cell phone with playboy open on the web browser then arresting them for being distracted.

It's also not illegal surveillance since they are in public. As long as the cops stay outside the vehicle they are fine. If they poked their head in without probable cause, that'd be different. That'd require a warrant.

[AcidSnake]

I don't feel good about this strategy. I can see the potential for overreach and for constitutional abuses on several fronts.

As it stands America's collective police forces already do not seemingly any rigorous mandated teachings on the U.S. Constitutions involving the rights of the citizens.

[netdragon]

Originally Posted by AcidSnake

I don't feel good about this strategy. I can see the potential for overreach and for constitutional abuses on several fronts.

As it stands America's collective police forces already do not seemingly any rigorous mandated teachings on the U.S. Constitutions involving the rights of the citizens.

Overreach of police in this victorian police state? No way! ;-)

The Constitution is outdated and we need some amendments. However, much less than pass a referendum so we can vote on an ammendment, the guys in congress can't even tie their own shoelaces.

[onemanarmy]

I'm all for this, distracted drivers kill more people than DUIs. I think the law should be clear, NO USE OF CELLPHONE PERIOD. You can only use your GPS if you have mounted, and you can't reroute your GPS while driving. I happen to be old enough to remember having a ca without a cellphone, or GPS.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by onemanarmy

I'm all for this, distracted drivers kill more people than DUIs. I think the law should be clear, NO USE OF CELLPHONE PERIOD. You can only use your GPS if you have mounted, and you can't reroute your GPS while driving. I happen to be old enough to remember having a car without a cellphone, or GPS.

Yep.

Some people today may not believe it but it's entirely possible to drive from one place to another without texting, checking email or yakking on the phone.

[sedimenjerry]

Originally Posted by MattCW

Oh good grief! More irresponsible overreach by the thin blue line. Yes, texting while stopped is technically a violation, but it does nothing to actually improve safety and just dumps more money into the local coffers! I wish Georgia would go to a system like either Vermont or New Hampshire where the funds are given to the state who then returns them to the counties/cities based on something like road/lane miles and population (someone else explained the system in this form) then enforcement would truly be about safety rather than whatever shiny new toy the chief wants the money for!

Going up to Pennsylvania for grad school. Evidently texting is allowed if the car is stopped which makes much more sense.