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The latest numbers from the city come as the repeated vandalizing of the Parkside Drive speed camera has grabbed headlines for months.

But the data shows the problem goes far beyond the stretch of road near High Park.

According to newly released information from the city, 24 cameras were stolen in last month, while an another 19 pole-mounted speed cameras have been knocked down since November.Ìý .

Twenty-one of the stolen cameras were the smaller, grey boxed mobile variety.

Three pole-mounted cameras, at Parkside Drive, Lake Shore Boulevard East, east of Winners Circle and Rockcliffe Boulevard near Rockcliffe Court, were also stolen.Ìý

The city did not say how the 19 pole-mounted cameras were downed — whether they were cut or toppled over by a vehicle — though the list includes the one on Parkside Drive,Ìýwhich has beenÌýchopped down six times since last November.Ìý

The Star previously reported during a week in June that threeÌýpole-mounted cameras had been cut down, while one was knocked down as the result of a vehicle accident.

This suggests that the beyond the oft-cut down Parkside Drive device,Ìýspeed cameras all across the city are being targeted, which as a result could make theÌýpublic safety measure less effective.

The city has 198 speed cameras now, which means that more than 10 per cent were stolen in July.Ìý

The City of ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ says it is working closely with its vendor and ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ police on the investigation into occurrences of vandalism and theft of the City’s Automatic Speed Enforcement cameras.

“Tampering, damaging or removing one of these devices allows dangerous speeding to continue and undermines the safety of all road users, particularly those more vulnerable such as pedestrians, cyclists, children and the elderly,” said Russell Baker, the manager of Strategic Public and Employee Communications for the city.

Some of the thefts happened in bunches. On July 13, four cameras were stolen — one was at Keele Street and Wandle Avenue, while the other three were located relatively close to each other in Scarborough.Ìý

The city has also previously told the media that during the weekend of Sept. 14-15, 2024,Ìýeight machines were “vandalized, broken into and the camera units stolen from inside,” and that those thefts appeared “connected.”

Earlier this week, ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ police Chief Supt. Kelly Skinner said that police were looking into whether the crimes were linked.

“These incidents are happening across the city, and we know we have 16 different uniform-based divisions, and one division has kind of taken on that lead to see if they can find any type of link between any of the incidents,” Skinner said.Ìý

“All divisions that have speed cameras that have been vandalized are handling their own investigations, with 11 Division overseeing all,� said TPS spokesperson Cindy Chung, when asked for further information about the investigation.

Police provided no other updates, but said the investigations are ongoing and no suspect descriptions have been released. Police confirmed the charge for the stolen cameras would be theft over $5,000.

Across the province, many other municipalities that have launched speed camera programs are also dealing with vandalism and theft. A speed camera was stolen in Paris, Ont., in late May, while another was stolen in Thorold, Ont., at the beginning of August.

There have been 743 cases of vandalism against speed cameras in Ontario this year.

Some ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ residents have raised concerns about the cameras’ surveillance, the fines from tickets, and the growth and expansion of the program. The Parkside speed camera was first cut down after ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ city council discussed putting bike lanes on that street.Ìý

But while much of the focus has been on the serial vandalism at Parkside Drive, the new numbers point to theft, rather than just damage. The first five times the Parkside Drive camera was cut down, the camera was left at the scene, except the third time when it was dumped into the nearby Duck Pond.ÌýThe last time it was cut down on July 9, it was stolen. It was reinstalled this week.