12/15/2013
Australia, France, Italy, The Netherlands, UK: Speed Cameras AttackedAround Europe and Australia, speed cameras are spraypainted, smashed, scorched and slammed.
In The Borders, Scotland, vigilantes burned a speed camera at Hiltonshill on the A68 early Friday morning. STV News reports that police have no suspects. In Kidderminster, England, vigilantes set fire to a speed camera on the A449 Wolverhampton road on Monday. According to the Kidderminster Shuttle, a device at the same location was destroyed with a burning tire on September 29.
In Milly-sur-Therain, France, vigilantes covered a speed camera lens with red paint on December 7, Le Parisien reported. A speed camera on the RD680 was set on fire in Saone-et-Loire on Thursday. According to France 3, this is the third time this automated ticketing machine has been burned. In the past ten years, French speed cameras have raised 4.2 billion euros (US $5.8 billion) in profit.
In Mogliano Veneto, Italy, vigilantes knocked over a speed camera on December 8. Treviso Today reported the automated ticketing machine was pulled out of the ground and tossed into a ditch. Other cameras in the area previously were spraypainted black.
A 55-year-old man rammed a speed camera in Eindhoven, The Netherlands on December 7. According to Eindhoven Dagblad, the man was arrested by police who were operating the device. Oficials charged him also with destroying two other cameras on November 25.
In South Australia, a 22-year-old was charged with attacking 21 speed cameras the South Eastern Freeway in Adelaide, with the most recent camera damaged on December 6. According to the Australian newspaper, the man used a crossbow and marbles to smash the camera lenses.