This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Moscow, Idaho • A school bus roaming the streets of Moscow this week has been a cover for police officers looking to catch traffic violations.

The Moscow-Pullman Daily News reports (http://bit.ly/2bLYT4T ) that members of the Moscow Police Department, Idaho State Police and Latah County Sheriff's Department rode in the bus that was equipped with a video camera, radio and observation form in order to flag down potential tickets for patrol cars.

When a driver was seen committing a traffic violation such as texting while driving, the bus-riding officers would radio a patrol car in the area and then a traffic stop would be made.

Officials say the bus was used because people didn't expect officers to be inside and because it gave them a higher vantage point to see into cars.

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Information from: The Moscow-Pullman Daily News, http://www.dnews.com