Kamloops cop with baby carrier sneakily nabs drivers using cell phones

Calling it Operation E-Baby, a Kamloops RCMP officer dressed in plainclothes with a baby doll in a carrier on his back was busy nabbing drivers using their cellphones late last month.

Cpl. Wayne Chung with the traffic unit spent several hours in two downtown Kamloops locations, according to an RCMP media release issued today, Dec. 13.

With his help, officers issued more than 25 cell phone use violations, along with other violations.

“The volume of people using cellphones is crazy – you just have to put them away,” Cpl. Chung said in the release. “If you can’t police yourself, we will police you.”

Of those caught, many were on their phones texting or scrolling social media.

“And they’re so distracted,” he said. “I’m walking right up to them and they don’t even see it.”

It's to the point where some drivers are stopped at a red light but slowly rolling forward encroaching on the intersection because their focus is on their phone.

“Put it away and realize you need to focus on driving,” Cpl. Chung said.

Distracted driving is one of the main causes of road accidents, RCMP said, and a priority for the municipal traffic unit which will continue to look for distracted drivers along with impaired drivers during the holiday season.

Impaired driving road check tend to increase during the holidays as more people drive back from holiday parties and events.

“There’s absolutely no excuse to drive impaired in today’s society and the consequences are swift and immediate,” Cpl. Chung said.

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