Two weeks ago, the "Traffic Police" introduced a new control measure - civilian cars are now patrolling without visible identification. They are completely anonymous and work according to a strictly defined mechanism. For the first time, a television crew has been granted special access to their activities.
The cars blend in with traffic. No sirens. No markings. We don't see them, but they see us - and anyone who breaks the rules is detected and stopped. These are the undercover patrols. The civilian cars of the "Traffic Police".
A Nova TV crew goes on an undercover patrol. Unfortunately, they are not allowed to show everything, due to the security and efficiency of the undercover traffic police. But it reveals enough to make it clear how the civilian patrols work.
We are moving along Bulgaria Blvd. Shortly before rush hour. The most common violations - using a mobile phone while driving. In just a few minutes we catch the first violator.
The undercover police officers report a signal to the nearest uniformed team. The unmarked police car does not intervene - so as not to reveal its cover. It keeps a discreet distance while its colleagues take over the case. And so on - until the next one.
"The role of the civilian patrols is to be in the traffic flow and, if a violation is detected, to provide data to the nearest team of "Traffic Police". He can draw up the necessary documents under the Road Traffic Act," said Commissioner Nikolay Karadjov, Deputy Head of the "Traffic Police".
In Western Europe, plainclothes police officers can stop violators themselves. A car filmed in Germany flashes its lights. In our country, this is not yet possible, because we do not have such light boards. Operational police officers are always two per shift. The "Traffic Police" does not report how many plainclothes patrols there are in the country - but they work 24/7.