San Francisco’s police dress up in chicken costumes to catch speeding drivers — here’s the ‘impact’

This cop is working around the cluck.

A San Francisco cop ditched his peaked cap and badge in favor of a rainbow-hued, inflatable chicken costume for his traffic safety patrol at a busy intersection.

Lt. Jonathan Ozol donned the flamboyant suit — made to look like he was riding the giant bird’s back — Monday to demonstrate just how many drivers failed to yield to pedestrians, even those as obvious and bright as the officer.

“I don’t want them to get run over,” Capt. Amy Hurwitz told SF Gate. “But the costume is so bright, it’s like, how can you miss it?”

The exercise was one of five the department conducted over the last six months as part of the city’s plan to achieve vision zero. Each featured an officer crossing different intersections while wearing ostentatious costumes, including a unicorn and Sesame Street’s Big Bird.

For his part, Ozol strolled across Alemany Boulevard and Rousseau Street, making sure he gave drivers at least 200 feet to spot him and stop. State law requires drivers to stop for pedestrians who are entering a crosswalk.

Surprisingly, many sped ahead, with some coming too close to the costumed officer for comfort.

For every driver who refused to let him cross first, Ozol would flag down a partner and issue a hefty fine of up to $400.

“If you don’t see someone in a giant chicken costume, then we really have a problem,” he told SF Gate.

The department lost count of how many drivers failed the test, though the outlet pointed out that eight were caught within the first 30 minutes.

Hurwitz guessed that the previous five exercises resulted in 30 to 40 citations each.

The silly stunt is seemingly having a positive impact on San Fransisco, at least while the costumed cops were on the clock.

“It’s having an impact,” Ozol said. “Drivers seem more aware, more cognizant. Certainly when they see the chicken.”

“One more person that yields, that’s one more person that’s safe.”