Police will consider running undercover window washing operation again after unusually high strike rate

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Update

Victoria Police say they’ll consider running their undercover window washing operation again, after such a successful strike rate this time.

Eastern Region Superintendent Richard Watkins told Neil it was a junior officer’s idea, and it worked like a charm!

“It’s the first time we’ve tried it but it seems to have worked,” Superintendent Watkins said.

“They weren’t there for too long, maybe an hour or so.

“They booked 34 people for mobile phones and one for not wearing a seat belt.

“That’s a very high strike rate, we wouldn’t normally see that number for uniformed police on the side of the road, but the plain clothes had the effect.”

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“They had high-vis vests on, handcuffs hanging out the back, they weren’t exactly cunningly disguised,” Neil said.

“No it wasn’t super-undercover but that’s what happens when people are distracted!” Superintendent Watkins said.

Earlier

Officers in the Nunawading have been seen dressed as windscreen washers, peering into cars to find distracted drivers on their phones.

The Neil Mitchell program was tipped off to the sneaky new tactic on Tuesday.

3AW Mornings was then swamped with callers with their eye-witness accounts.

STATEMENT FROM POLICE

Forest Hill police officers conducted a traffic operation in Nunawading yesterday targeting distracted drivers. Part of the operation involved covert observations of drivers in stationary vehicles. Police issued 38 infringement notices to drivers for using their mobile phone while driving.

An apparent photo of the unusual sting has been circulating on Facebook (above).

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