by NOELLE NEWTON / KVUE News
Bio | Email| Follow: @NoelleN_KVUE
kvue.com
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 6:21 PM
Updated today at 6:29 PM
People speeding through a Northeast Austin construction zone Thursday got a surprise in their rear view mirrors. Officers are going undercover as workers.
Wearing a hard hat and reflective vest, the officer will look like your average construction worker, but instead of surveying equipment, the officer will be using a radar gun on a tripod.
The department's highway enforcement unit is going undercover to keep the real workers safe.
"What we want people to do is concentrate on how they drive, regardless if they see a police officer or not,” said APD Corporal Bob Miljenovich
Thursday the job site of choice was U.S. 290 and Highway 183. The speed limit there is 65 miles per hour. The average violation was between 75 and 85 miles per hour.
Within the first four stops, the officers had to pull out the handcuffs. The man had six traffic warrants.
The operation came one day after a driver plowed into a Travis County deputy's car at a construction zone in South Austin. The deputy was trapped inside for a short time and had to be taken to a hospital.
Officers say the construction workers are very thankful for the patrols.
"Imagine you're in your office and people are coming by at 60, 70, 80 miles per hour, three feet away from where you're working. That's what these guys do every single day and I don't think people get a feel for how dangerous it is,” Miljenovich said.
Within one hour officers wrote 13 tickets. The drivers will have to pay double the amount since construction workers were present.
Watch out, you never know where the officers will show up next
Bio | Email| Follow: @NoelleN_KVUE
kvue.com
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 6:21 PM
Updated today at 6:29 PM
People speeding through a Northeast Austin construction zone Thursday got a surprise in their rear view mirrors. Officers are going undercover as workers.
Wearing a hard hat and reflective vest, the officer will look like your average construction worker, but instead of surveying equipment, the officer will be using a radar gun on a tripod.
The department's highway enforcement unit is going undercover to keep the real workers safe.
"What we want people to do is concentrate on how they drive, regardless if they see a police officer or not,” said APD Corporal Bob Miljenovich
Thursday the job site of choice was U.S. 290 and Highway 183. The speed limit there is 65 miles per hour. The average violation was between 75 and 85 miles per hour.
Within the first four stops, the officers had to pull out the handcuffs. The man had six traffic warrants.
The operation came one day after a driver plowed into a Travis County deputy's car at a construction zone in South Austin. The deputy was trapped inside for a short time and had to be taken to a hospital.
Officers say the construction workers are very thankful for the patrols.
"Imagine you're in your office and people are coming by at 60, 70, 80 miles per hour, three feet away from where you're working. That's what these guys do every single day and I don't think people get a feel for how dangerous it is,” Miljenovich said.
Within one hour officers wrote 13 tickets. The drivers will have to pay double the amount since construction workers were present.
Watch out, you never know where the officers will show up next
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