Another Toronto speed camera vandalized, turned into trash can

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Toronto’s Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) cameras have been a success for the city.

City officials said earlier this summer that Toronto’s speed enforcement cameras are slowing drivers and millions of dollars in tickets have been issued to those with no regard for speed limits.

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While one particularly deadly stretch of Parkside Dr. continues to be a problem for speeding motorists, despite the presence of a speed camera, another of the city’s cameras has been given a makeover – and not in a good way.

A speed camera in Bloor West Village near Christie TTC Station was gutted, moved and transformed into a garbage bin.

“Someone stole this speeding camera and filled it with trash,” X user epicgamemusic captioned the photo.

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There have been 555 vandalism instances of cameras being broken, moved, tipped over or spray-painted between June 1, 2022 and May 31, 2023, CP24 reported in July.

Fortunately the company that provides the cameras is responsible for any damaged devices, meaning the city – and taxpayers – do not incur any additional costs to replace a device.

“The City is also exploring other solutions with the vendor to reduce vandalism, such as pole mounting and remote monitoring,” a City of Toronto spokesperson told the Sun. “The vendor reports serious vandalism issues to the Toronto Police Service.”

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She added that tampering with or damaging a speed camera is illegal, negatively impacts road safety and allows dangerous speeding to continue near vulnerable road users.

Residents are encouraged to call 311 to report a broken or damaged camera.