Beware drivers—any of the pedestrians at any crosswalk in Saratoga could be an officer. The only way to find out is to fail to yield to the pedestrian and possibly pay the consequences.

Under the program, an officer posing as a pedestrian in civilian clothes will attempt to cross the street at a designated crosswalk before an approaching car. If the vehicle fails to yield to the undercover officer, another officer watching the scene from a distance would cite the driver.

"We're taking a more proactive approach in cracking down on non-law-abiding citizens," said Capt. John Hirokawa of the Westside Sheriff's Substation. "The best practice is active enforcement."

According to Hirokawa, the crosswalks at the intersection of Big Basin Way, Highway 9, Los Gatos­Saratoga Road and Saratoga Avenue, as well as at schools, are the more problematic areas with several complaints from residents.

The program, which will be in effect this month, will only apply to areas with designated crosswalks. That's why resident Lila Hemraj would like to see crosswalks—among other things—on Pierce Road, which is a relatively narrow two-way street with no speed bumps or signs cautioning drivers to slow down.

"It would be great if we can have an undercover officer working in our neighborhood," Hemraj said. "They would probably catch a lot of people here with dangerous driving habits."

Hemraj said that she's noticed not only an increase in the number of cars along Pierce Road due to several construction projects and traffic from the Mountain Winery, but also in the number of reckless drivers in the neighborhood.

"Some of these drivers have no respect for those who live here," Hemraj said. "People speed and don't pay any attention to the pedestrians."

This is a problem for Hemraj because she has to cross the street to get to her mailbox.

"Getting mail and even visiting neighbors can be a pain sometimes," she said. "Some of the drivers see you and don't even stop, but if we had a crosswalk, it would force the drivers to stop."

Hemraj added that she would also like to see speed bumps installed along Pierce Road and to have her mailbox placed on her side of the street.

Resident Julie Daniels said she is definitely more alert when walking her dog in the neighborhood.

"Speeding has been a consistent problem for the past five years," she said. "It has become uncomfortable walking in the neighborhood. Even my dog is afraid to walk outside."

Like Hemraj, Daniels said she would like to see speed bumps along the street as well as more traffic-enforcement officers patrolling the area. However, she is against having sidewalks in the neighborhood.

Cathy Bullock, who lives farther down from Hemraj, said she agrees that there is too much traffic along Pierce Road and compared it to being as "busy as a freeway." Unlike some of her neighbors, Bullock suggested another remedy—redirect some of the traffic to neighboring streets.

Upon request of the residents, city engineers will be conducting a traffic study to determine what, if any, traffic-calming devices are needed. Results will be presented to the public safety commissioners who decide future actions for Pierce Road.