CAMOUFLAGED cops are unlikely to be used on North East roads despite a suggestion the Yarra Ranges tactic might be used elsewhere.
Police hiding behind camouflage nets tucked up in steep bushland are pointing their radar guns on twisting roads below them in the area near Melbourne.
North East highway patrol boss Bill Gore applauded any tactic that cut road trauma.
But Sen-Sgt Gore doubted this would work on North East roads.
“We will consider any tactical situation that will save lives,” he said.
“Right at the moment while we would consider this tactic I can’t see that our crash data or intelligence would envisage using this kind of tactic to achieve any goals.
“Our type of traffic and our type of terrain and our type of problems are different to Yarra Ranges.”
Sen-Sgt Gore said he respected Yarra Ranges for trying to do whatever was necessary to save lives and amend the behaviour of motorists in that area.
The camouflaged officers, with radar guns and binoculars, have been seen near Healesville on the Black Spur section of the Maroondah Highway.
Police in the area have argued traditional methods of detecting speeding motorists — especially motorcyclists — just do not work in the Yarra Ranges’ winding roads through mountainous terrain.
Sen-Sgt Gore said these were more attuned to trying to modify motorists’ behaviour rather than just catching offenders.
“We have strategically placed traffic camera sites as an example of that to cause the motorists to slow down,” he said.
“We run roadblocks where we intercept these people and talk to them.
“We also sit and have cups of coffee with them to explain to them what our situations are and why we do what we do.”
