1/8/2018
New Mexico, France, Italy: Speed Cameras Taken Out In The New YearVigilantes around the world ring in the new year with speed camera decorations and fire.
A speed camera van in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, burst into flames on Nicholas Street on Thursday, KRQE-TV reported. While vigilantes have attacked the device in the past -- one was spraypainted with phalluses in April -- officials have not ruled out spontaneous combustion, which is common to photo radar devices. In Romania, a van caught fire in 2013. In 2010, a camera in Fruitland, Maryland burned itself. Similarly, a camera car burned down a police garage in Colmar, France destroying seventeen patrol vehicles. A photo radar van in North Wales, UK caught fire. A speed camera vehicle in Mount Carmel, Tennessee caught fire and burned down a barn.
In Reana del Rojale, Italy, vigilantes on Saturday cut down the bright orange "Velo OK" speed camera housing. According to Il Gazzettino, they then took the housing and placed it atop a the pedestal of a monument in the town square.
On Tuesday, pink spraypaint was used to disable the speed camera on the D1330 between Senlis and Fleurines, France, Le Parisien reported. In Macquigny, yellow spraypaint was used to ring in the new year on the speed camera on the D1029, according to L'Aisne Nouvelle.