Broken Arrow Police Conduct 'Ghost Operations' In Work Zones

NewsOn6.com

BROKEN ARROW, OK -- This week has been "Work Zone Awareness Week," a week in which the Oklahoma Department of Transportation put emphasis on the importance of driving safely through construction work zones across Oklahoma.  

A number of law enforcement agencies participated as well, cracking down on drivers who sped through those work zones. 

They included the Broken Arrow Police Department, which used a different tactic than most.

Broken Arrow Police Sergeant Ed Ferguson says officers were not dressed in their usual uniforms, but in regular clothes, looking for drivers not obeying the speed limit. 

"One of the things that we do that is part of our law enforcement initiative is what we call a "ghost operations" where we blend officers in, in plain clothes and put them outside with the radar and they look just like construction workers. But if they see you driving out there too fast, they're going to call a uniformed officer and you're going to be stopped and you will receive that citation," said Sergeant Ferguson. 

Ferguson says drivers need to pay attention to speed limit signs, especially in work zones. 

"We have officers present in these work zones almost on a daily basis to try to make sure that we can protect not only the workers because the public is also at high risk. Because these work zones are a constantly changing environment," Sergeant Ferguson said. 

With federal stimulus funding going into highway projects, there are more construction work zones across northeast Oklahoma and in Broken Arrow.  If you're caught speeding in one, you could be fined up to $500.