Camouflaged police officers keep motorists in their radar gun's sights near Healesville in the Yarra Ranges. Herald Sun
DISGUISED police hiding in bushes behind camouflage nets are using radar guns to nab hundreds of speeding Victorians.
And the Herald Sun has discovered they are planning to secretly aim their radars at thousands more motorists this year.
Victoria Police makes no apologies for the sneaky tactic and yesterday vowed to continue the blitzes.
Supt Neville Taylor said the use of camouflaged cops was developed to tackle the problem police were having with speeding motorcyclists in the Yarra Ranges.
"Since then we have used it in other areas where we have the same challenges, such as the Surf Coast and down in Gippsland, around Mt Baw Baw and Latrobe," he said. "It is clearly saving lives on the road."
An angry motorist fined after being caught by what police call "Operation Surreptitious" hit back by tracking down their hidey-hole and taking pictures of the officers in action.
"They were disguised and hiding in thick bush to nab people as they came down a hill on the only overtaking spot for miles around," said the motorist, who asked not to be identified.
"That's not fair. It's just blatant revenue raising."
The photographs, provided to the Herald Sun, show Victoria Police officers went to extraordinary lengths to avoid being seen by motorists and motorcyclists approaching them just out of Healesville on the popular Black Spur section of the Maroondah Highway.
Both officers were wearing military-style camouflage clothing and were bunkered down behind camouflage netting.
The stretch of road is one of very few places on the Black Spur where overtaking is allowed.
Supt Taylor yesterday defended the camouflage tactic as legitimate and highly effective.
"We make absolutely no apologies for doing it because it is done only in areas that have a long history of very high risk behaviour, where we have high road trauma," he said.
"Because of the terrain in the areas, such as mountainous, winding roads, the traditional enforcement methods are just not able to be used."
Police statistics reveal 911 people have been caught speeding by the camouflaged cops in the Yarra Ranges since the operation started in 2008.
The operation has resulted in 74 vehicles being impounded for exceeding the speed limit by 45km/h or more, with 53 of them being motorcycles. The top speed recorded was 199km/h.
Supt Taylor said the camouflaged cops picked up two motorcyclists doing 168km/h and 142km/h in the 80km/h zone on the day the reader took photographs.
Victoria Police has a written policy that bans the use of concealed mobile speed cameras, but there is no restriction on radar guns.
Camouflaged police officers laying in wait amid dense bushland.
keith.moor@news.com.au
Originally Posted by The Driver
Geez so much gossip around here! Better not tell Phatties wife that he also has children with his lawyer!
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