Article from: www.thenewspaper.com/news/35/3552.asp

8/7/2011
Australia, France, Germany, Poland, Saudi Arabia: Speed Cameras Attacked
Automated ticketing machines come under attack throughout the world in the past few weeks.

Overath, Germany speed cameraIn Overath, Germany a speed camera was set on fire July 30 at 2am. Rheinisch Bergischer police reported that the automated ticketing machine had been doused with gasoline. They have no idea who might be responsible.

In Perth, Australia on Friday a speed camera was damaged by a Molotov cocktail, according to Perth Now. The attack left the camera pole bent toward the ground at the intersection of Leach Highway and Bungaree Road.

In Wittelsheim, France last month, vigilantes slapped an unidentified yellow material across the lenses of a speed camera on the RN66 toward Thann and Mulhouse, L'Alsace reported. In February 2010 the same device had been set on fire. Nearby, the camera on the D466 was painted green.

In Kielce, Poland a speed camera on route 73 was set on fire two weeks ago, but officials claimed they were able to recover and develop the film inside the device to issue tickets. The camera pole were destroyed in the attack, Gazete Kielce reported. A camera was also set on fire in Lodz, destroying the camera lens. In Franciszkanska, vigilantes attempted to break into a speed camera on route 16 toward Ostroda. In Pszczyna on route 1, vigilantes succeeded in cutting the electrical wiring to a speed camera and grabbing the radar unit, according to Gazeta Olsztynska.

In Saudi Arabia, the speed cameras are so unpopular that officials have begun to place metal screen over the windows of the "Saher" photo radar SUVs to protect against hurled rocks view photo. The need for the armored camera vans is reflected in a General Traffic Department online survey in Riyadh that showed 68 percent of the over 100,000 responses opposed the use of automated ticketing machines.