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Allenhurst police started up their pedestrian decoy program again this weekend successfully netting nine individuals who failed to properly yield to a plain clothed officer posing as a pedestrian at a crosswalk.

Police set up at a crosswalk on Ocean Avenue and ran the decoy program for two hours on Saturday. Ten people were stopped and a total of nine summonses were issued, said Allenhurst police Captain Michael Schneider.

The summons carries a $200 fine and two points, since it is considered a moving violation.

Two of those summonses were issued to drivers operating with a suspended driver’s license and one individual was arrested on an outstanding traffic warrant, he said.

The decoy program is designed to target motorists who do not give pedestrians the right of way at designated crosswalks, especially during the busy summer months. It takes two police officers to run the program. One acts as the pedestrian while another waits in a patrol car a few hundred feet down the road.

[Click here to see the Sun’s coverage of last summer’s program.]

The decoy was a borough police officer, dressed in normal, civilian summer attire, he said.

“We do plan on conducting this program throughout the summer, and have gotten very favorable comments from residents and local pedestrians,” Schnieder said.

Police started the program last summer and report this year, while more motorists seem to abide by the law that requires motor vehicles stop for pedestrians, they are still seeing “far too many incidents where pedestrians are put in danger due to the inattentiveness of drivers,” Schneider said.

The police department will continue to enforce pedestrian safety, especially during the summer months, when the numbers of pedestrians are at their highest, he said.

“Ultimately, this enhanced enforcement program can be performed less frequently, but that will depend on the motorists, complying with the pedestrian safety statute,” said Schneider.

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