Footage emerges of Toronto's Parkside Drive speed camera being vandalized and uprooted
The speed camera on Parkside Drive, installed in 2021 to curb dangerous driving after a tragic accident, has been vandalized yet again. This marks the fifth instance of vandalism since its installation.
The camera was reinstalled on Aug. 10, following its latest repairs. However, it was vandalized once more just nine days later on July 9. It's unclear if the recently installed surveillance camera caught the most recent act of vandalism.
The speed camera was first introduced on Parkside Drive in 2021, after a driver travelling at more than double the speed limit (then 50 km/h) rear-ended a vehicle and killed its two elderly occupants. Since then, the camera has issued over 66,000 tickets and collected more than $7 million in fines since 2022.
Richard Penner, a local resident, installed a trail camera near the speed camera after it was vandalized for the fourth time in April. He also installed a small surveillance camera in May. However, he did not reinstall his trail camera after its location was reported publicly.
Penner, who has seen a similar speed camera slow traffic in his Bloordale neighborhood, was pleased to see the speed camera restored. He believes the culprit is a younger person and a loosely-organized collection of people.
The City of Toronto is working with its vendor and Toronto police to prevent future incidents of vandalism. Measures include remote monitoring of the camera systems, stronger poles for permanent cameras, and other security enhancements.
The police investigation into the vandalism of the Parkside Drive camera remains ongoing. Despite the continued vandalism, the speed camera is still standing and continues to monitor traffic on Parkside Drive.
In the surveillance video released by the police, a person can be seen arriving at the speed cam with a tool, potentially a reciprocating saw, and a small ladder. The person is then seen cutting down the speed camera and climbing down from the ladder.
The person responsible for the vandalism of the surveillance camera on Parkside Drive in Toronto has not been publicly identified. The City of Toronto is hopeful that the increased security measures will deter future acts of vandalism and keep the speed camera operational.
