Police officers in San Francisco, California, are roaming the streets dressed as chickens to catch drivers who violate traffic laws.
Every day, people come close to being hit by cars in San Francisco, even though drivers are required to stop when someone crosses a pedestrian crossing. Under state law, drivers who fail to do so could be fined up to $400.
So last Monday, to catch the offending drivers, San Francisco police lieutenant Jonathan Ozol donned an inflatable chicken costume and repeatedly tried to cross a crosswalk, Ozol told local media SFGATE that he gave drivers enough time to see him, targeting oncoming cars about 60 metres away from him.
“If you don’t see someone in a giant chicken costume, then we really have a problem,” he said.
However, several people failed the test and were stopped by two other officers located further away, to whom Lieutenant Ozol signaled to indicate that there had been a violation.
Monday’s operation was not the first of its kind by the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD). In fact, it was the fifth in six months. While the costumes vary, the goal remains the same: to ensure that drivers exercise caution when approaching crosswalks.
“I don’t want (my officers) to get run over. But if the suit is shiny … can you miss it?” Capt. Amy Hurwitz said at the SFGATE.
Having each led to around 30 or 40 fines, these operations seem to have the desired effect, estimates Jonathan Ozol.
“It has an impact. Drivers seem more aware, more conscious. Certainly when they see the chicken. (…) One more person who gives way is one more person who is safe,” he stressed.
