Police in Rio Rancho, N.M., say a number of speeding citations have been handed out to area drivers thanks to an officer's cherry picker hiding spot.

The Albuquerque Journal said Friday that a police officer armed with a radar gun used the inventive hiding spot to clock scores of speeding drivers and send reinforcements after the offending travelers.

Police spokesman John Francis said 84 citations were handed out Thursday during a 4 1/2-hour selective Traffic Enforcement Program operation.

Francis told the Journal the majority of the citations were for driving above the posted speed limit but some were for expired registrations or overly tinted windows.

Drivers who attempted to warn approaching travelers of the officer's hidden perch were also cited for their actions, Francis added.

The Journal said the fine for speeding in Rio Rancho, no matter how a violator is caught, ranges from $88 to $263 based on how many miles an hour over the posted limit the driver was moving at the time.