While the cops were distracted... snap snap

While Officer Van der Merve was distracted (I didnt send that guy.. I promise… ) I took this picture.
Notice that other than the Number plate and the hidden lights in the grill this car is totally unmarked.

So expect them to be out in Force during the 2010 WorldCup, seeing as how they recently bought a few Silver Golf 6 GTi’s.
Read my first post with more photo’s here.
-A-

P.S. Do you have any pictures of the Ghost Squad in action? Send them to me via aslamlevy (at) gmail.com

We usually speed because we running late, so do your self a favour and check out the traffic around Cape Town in real time on this Traffic Cam Page.
Be especially wary of a white golf 5 GTi.

**Update** 6nd December 2009: The Ghost Squad has recently upgraded their fleet and now have included Silver Golf 6 GTi’s and were at the FIFA Long street Party as seen here.

In a major effort to reduce road deaths and clamp down on serious traffic violations, the spruced-up and better resourced Cape Town Traffic Service has launched a specialist unit operating in unmarked vehicles, dubbed the Ghost Squad.

The highly trained specialist unit will use powerful new cars and motorcycles of different colours to blend into traffic across the Peninsula, from Atlantis to Gordon’s Bay.
Offending motorists will be flagged down by uniformed officers, with powers to arrest, using sirens, public address systems and flashing blue lights.
Officers on motorcycles will be hard to spot in traffic, wearing regular helmets and plain dark jackets.
The unit will focus on collision-causing traffic offences such as reckless and negligent driving, cutting in, driving under the influence of alcohol, illegal U-turns and using a cellphone without a hands-free set.

“Motorists tend to only obey traffic laws when a traffic officer is in the vicinity. We intend to change this mindset by deploying ‘invisible‘ law enforcement through the Ghost Squad,” said JP Smith, mayoral committee member for safety and security. Heathcliff Thomas, head of Traffic Services in Cape Town, said if the traffic police wanted to establish high visibility, 10 000 uniformed traffic officers would have been needed. “So we decided, let’s rather box smart. We want to establish omnipresence,”

Thomas said.
Based at Gallows Hill Traffic Department in Green Point, the Ghost Squad will work closely with other specialist units in the Cape Town Traffic Service such as video surveillance, highway patrol and public transport. The unit, headed by Inspector Lance Crowster, is trained in advanced motor vehicle and motorcycle driving, and advanced weapons tactics.The 12 hand-picked officers each have more than 10 years experience and will soon be joined by 40 additional specially trained officers.

Of 117 issued fines, 40 were for unlicenced drivers, 33 for unlicensed vehicles and 13 for overloaded taxis.

Some offenders were government officials.

How to protect yourself:

Remember check out the traffic around Cape Town in real time on this Traffic Cam Page.

It is legal to install a GPS system in your vehicle and many of the newer models allow you to map where all the traffic camera’s and mobile traps are.

If you are looking for an entry level, affordable option, I would recommend the Garmin Nuvi 205

Here are some of the features:

-A-