Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond, of Dunedin, said officers spent an hour running a checkpoint in Crawford St from 8.30am.
Twenty-three of the tickets were issued to drivers using cellphones, seven to those who had not been wearing seatbelts and two who ran red lights, Snr Sgt Bond said.
Acting Sergeant Tim Coudret, of the Dunedin road policing team, said officers were unimpressed with the number of people caught — many of whom had been texting while driving.
"[It’s] very disappointing people are willing to take those risks on the road," Acting Sgt Coudret said.
"Over the coming months, we’re working closely with them on some high visibility checkpoints and patrols, with a particular focus on on distractions," he said.
The joint operation aimed to promote safer choices, particularly around cellphone use.
In some cases staff would be handing out stick-on cellphone wallets reading "park your distractions", to remind drivers to keep their phones tucked away while driving.
Ultimately, the message was simple: "Put your phones away," Sgt Coudret said.
