HAYWARD, Calif. (KRON) -- California Highway Patrol has an all-new tool to help officers blend in with traffic, catching unsuspecting drivers who fall right into their trap.
“I consider myself a ticket salesman,” said CHP Hayward area Officer Jennifer Pabst.
Pabst took KRON for a ride on Interstate 880 in Hayward in one of the agency’s new low profile, specially marked Dodge Durango patrol vehicles.
Officers notice drivers’ behaviors change when they see a traditional black and white patrol car on the highway, but with the new incognito fleet, unsuspecting drivers are breaking the law right in front of officers.
“My goodness gracious, and you can tell like obviously it's so weird to be on patrol and usually people don't do that stuff in front of me,” said Pabst.
A new generation of CHP squad cars is hitting Bay Area roads. (KRON4)The new generation of squad cars comes in several colors, including gray and purple, with hidden lights and subdued logos, giving officers the advantage.
“It was kind of out of the blue,” said Brandon Macedo of San Leandro, who got a ticket for using his cell phone while driving.
“I do this kind of often, so this is kind of how it's going to kind of catch up to me,” said Macedo.
Within minutes of getting behind the wheel of the Durango, several drivers were caught off guard, including a Corvette driver caught making aggressive lane changes, doing over 80 in a 65-mile-per-hour zone during the busy morning commute.
Angela Nath was among those pulled over for speeding to work by the patrol car she didn’t spot.
“Oh, man. I'll be on the lookout for it,” said Nath, who apologized to the officer. “I mean, this is the Bay Area. We have busy lives and, you know, nobody wants to be late to work. But I guess just leave earlier.”
Speed is a factor in about 30 percent of the nearly 400,000 crashes in California every year, according to CHP.
Officer Pabst would quickly pull over four drivers in just over an hour behind the wheel of the Durango.
“Being able to immediately stop these vehicles is just a fantastic tool and it's paying off very well,” said Pabst. “Hopefully we are saving lives.”
One-hundred of the new low-profile SUVs will hit the road statewide by the end of May, with a handful already patrolling the Bay Area.
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