At least five speed cameras damaged this week in Toronto

Toronto police say they have received reports of at least five speed cameras being damaged this week in Toronto.

The speed camera at The East Mall and Faludon Court and the camera at Sheppard Avenue East and Don Mills Road were both cut down on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

Meanwhile the lenses of cameras at Pharmacy Avenue and Sherwood Avenue and McCowan Road at Sandhurst Circle were damaged on Tuesday.

The camera at Pharmacy Avenue and Galworthy Avenue was facing a different direction and possibly could be accident-related, according to police.

CityNews has also confirmed that the speed camera had been chopped down recently at O’Connor Drive and Coxwell Avenue, but police had not received a report about that incident.

No arrests have been made in any of the incidents and police continue to investigate.

This is far from the first time speed cameras have been damaged in Toronto. The Parkside Drive camera has been cut down at least five times and was even thrown into the duck pond nearby in one instance.

Toronto police also reported 12 Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) cameras were vandalized “beyond repair” in 2024.

The City of Toronto said that it does not own the cameras, which are a vendor-provided service, and their repair or replacement doesn’t ding taxpayers.

When a camera is vandalized, “it is the vendor’s responsibility to replace or fix the devices within a maximum of 30 days and report serious incidents of vandalism to Toronto Police Services,” a city spokesperson told CityNews.

“There is no cost to the city (and) no additional taxpayer dollars are spent each time an ASE device is damaged, as this is built into the contract with the vendor.”

The City condemned any vandalism of the speed cameras, saying tampering with one of the devices allows dangerous speeding to continue and undermines the safety of all users, especially those who are more vulnerable.

“ASE cameras are only installed in Community Safety Zones – areas near schools, hospitals, playgrounds and other locations frequented by vulnerable people,” read their statement.

“Speed limits are not guidelines, they are the law. A motorist can ensure they don’t receive a ticket by travelling at or below the posted speed limit.”