Although reports of speed camera thefts have appeared in August, no one yet knows what’s the motive behind this worrying trend. After a short pause, the theft spree resumed in October, with police investigating roughly 160 cases. It can cost up to 250,000 SEK ($22,700) to replace each camera and repair the damage.
The speed cameras are housed in cabinets containing a flash, radar, processor, and camera. Only the latter is valuable to the thieves, who leave everything else behind. The modus operandi is always the same: thieves use a saw or even drive over the speed camera cabinet with a car to smash it to the ground. This is different from previous random acts of vandalism recorded in the country. The vandals usually strike newly installed units by spraying the lens.
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