Article from: www.thenewspaper.com/news/35/3564.asp

8/21/2011

Iowa, Canada, Germany, Poland: Traffic Cameras Damaged
Speed cameras are burned, egged, smashed and crashed into in Iowa, Canada, Germany and Poland.

Vigilantes destroyed a traffic camera in Taunusstein, Germany last week. The device's lenses had been smashed and the attackers attempted to pry the Neuhof camera open before using a gasoline-filled soda bottle to set it on fire. The camera, which was completely destroyed, cannot be replaced until much later in the year, Wiesbadener Tagblatt reported. Police have no idea who is responsible.

A similarly thorough attack took place Wednesday in the village of Motylewo in Lubusz Voivodeship, Poland. A truck knocked over the speed camera on the 132, then vigilantes broke open the camera housing with an ax, poured in gasoline and set the automated ticketing on fire. Just days before, cameras were also set on fire in Kielce and Goczalkowice-Zdroj. A speed camera lens was smashed in Lodz and in Franciszkowo vigilantes attempted to break open a camera, according to Wirtualny Nowy Przemyst. In Glogow, Poland a 26-year-old man cut the live power lines to a speed camera. He was later picked up by police, TV Master reported.

In Des Moines, Iowa, vigilantes pelted an unattended Ford Explorer speed camera vehicle with an egg on Wednesday, according to the Des Moines Register. The resulting mess obscured the camera lens, rendering the device unable to issue tickets for about nine hours. Police have no idea who might be responsible.

In Winnipeg, Canada Thursday a photo radar van failed to prevent an accident. A minivan slammed into the automated ticketing vehicle at 10:30am on Logan Avenue, sending two people to the hospital, CBC News reported.