Your Tax Dollars At Work: San Fran Cops Dress Up As Inflatable Chicken To Catch Speeding Drivers

Today in "your tax dollars at work" news, San Francisco police are donning inflatable chicken suits to catch drivers speeding through crosswalks.

SFGate first reported on officer Lt. Jonathan Ozol in costume at a crosswalk on Alemany Boulevard, where Capt. Amy Hurwitz said the goal is to get drivers to yield to pedestrians.

Some drivers didn't seem to care and failed to yield to the giant inflatable chicken, according to Fox News. Imagine that.

Captain Hurwitz told Fox News: "I don’t want them to get run over. But the costume is so bright, it’s like, how can you miss it?"

"If you don’t see someone in a giant chicken costume, then we really have a problem," Ozol added. "It’s having an impact. Drivers seem more aware, more cognizant. Certainly when they see the chicken."

Monday marked the fifth stunt in six months, with officers dressing up as characters like unicorns or Big Bird to cross various intersections.

Capt. Hurwitz noted that each operation led to 30-40 citations, with fines up to $400. Lt. Ozol expressed disappointment at the consistently high numbers.

SFGate first reported last week: "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."

Meanwhile, while this nonsense is taking place, the Fox report notes that in 2023, homicides in San Francisco increased by 83%, while the overall violent crime rate went up by 4%.