The San Francisco Police Department is dressing up in inflatable chicken costumes to catch drivers speeding past crosswalks in a new stunt.
SFGate reported Monday on San Francisco police Lt. Jonathan Ozol wearing the costume while walking down a crosswalk on Alemany Boulevard near the intersection of Rousseau Street. The idea, Capt. Amy Hurwitz explained, is for drivers to take notice and yield to pedestrians.
Unfortunately, some drivers still aren’t yielding to Ozol.
“I don’t want them to get run over,” Hurwitz said. “But the costume is so bright, it’s like, how can you miss it?”
Monday’s exercise was the fifth one conducted over the last six months. Each featured an officer crossing different intersections dressed in a different costume, sometimes as a unicorn or Big Bird.
Hurwitz said each exercise has resulted in approximately 30 to 40 citations each with fines costing up to $400. Ozol similarly expressed disappointment at the high number.
San Francisco Police are dressing up as inflatable chickens to catch speeding drivers at crosswalks 💀 pic.twitter.com/HogBZ36de3
— BAY AREA STATE OF MIND (@YayAreaNews) September 22, 2024
“If you don’t see someone in a giant chicken costume, then we really have a problem,” he said.
Despite this, Ozol added that drivers are appearing to become more aware as the exercise continues.
“The exercise has been featured in police newsletters, and in fact, after police performed the exercise at the same crosswalk previously, someone with a sense of humor put up a ‘chicken crossing’ sign nearby,” SFGate reported.
“It’s having an impact,” Ozol said. “Drivers seem more aware, more cognizant. Certainly when they see the chicken.”
Rising crime has been a significant issue in San Francisco over the last few years. In 2023, homicide rates rose by 83% with overall violent crime rate rising by 4%.
However, crime data from the San Francisco Police Department has indicated crime rates are going down compared to this time last year.
That will show you. We witnessed a disable older woman walking the crosswalk legally. The traffic N/S bound was moving. She was not even 1/2 across the road when some ass, made a left turn going west and had to turn into the East bound turn lane in order to not hit her. Man, at that time, I wish I had a camera running. It was horrible. The jerk couldn’t wait 30 more seconds for her to get further across the road.