Hoboken Cops Hold Plainclothes Traffic Sting: See The Totals

HOBOKEN, NJ — Hoboken police handed out more than two dozen traffic summonses during a recent plainclothes “decoy” operation in the city, authorities reported Monday.

According to the Hoboken Police Department, its traffic unit held the first of two “Holiday Pedestrian Decoy Traffic Initiatives” on Friday, Dec. 13. The traffic operation was part of the Vision Zero Campaign, which aims to eliminate all traffic fatalities and injuries by 2030.

During the decoy operation, police officers in civilian clothes posed as pedestrians crossing the street, while a team of other officers observed and stopped motorists who failed to halt for pedestrians or violated other laws.

Police said they chose the three locations for the Dec. 13 operation based on which received the most complaints via their traffic@hobokenpd.org email address.

“While our initial plan was to cover six locations, summons volume and an arrest restricted us to three locations,” police stated.

Totals included:

8th and Madison Street

• 1 disregarding stop sign
• 8 failure to stop for pedestrian
• 2 “other motor vehicle infractions”

Newark and Adams Street

• 6 failure to stop for pedestrian
• 1 use of cell phone while driving
• 2 “other motor vehicle violations”
• 1 arrest for possession of CDS in a vehicle (marijuana)

4th and River Street

• 2 disregarding traffic signal
• 1 failure to stop for pedestrian
• 2 “other motor vehicle violations”

It’s not just those behind the wheel who will be put under the spotlight, authorities said.

While the Dec. 13 operation focused on drivers, future initiatives will focus on non-motor vehicle violations, such as pedestrians who fail to use a crosswalk and bicyclists who fail to stop at red lights or ride recklessly on sidewalks, authorities said.

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