Mississauga's speed cameras have been vandalized 172 times this year. Some councillors want action

Mississauga needs to change its automated speed enforcement camera program because of reoccurring vandalism to the grey metal boxes that contain the cameras, two city councillors say.

Already this year, the city says it has received reports of 172 reports of vandalism to its automated speed enforcement camera units. In 2022, it received 161 reports of vandalism.

The city has 22 speed cameras, two per ward, meant to enforce speed limits in what are known as school-area community safety zones. In school zones, the speed limit is 30 kilometres per hour.

Coun. Stephen Dasko, who represents Ward 1, said vandals have spray-painted graffiti on the units, knocked them over and spray-painted their lenses to prevent them from taking photographs. 

"It's been abused. It's been spray-painted. Actually, somebody had smashed one with a rock recently. Quite frankly, they get toppled over on a regular basis," Dasko said on Tuesday.

Dasko said the city has a contract with an external company to supply and maintain the speed cameras and the hope they can work together to find a solution.

For example, he said the speed cameras could be moved out of reach to prevent people from damaging the units.

"What makes sense, is if we could have them relocated to being on a pole, or somewhere that is outside of somebody easily being able to get their hands on it," he said.

On its website, the city of Mississauga says speeding is a serious problem on its roads and the cameras help to "make our streets safer for everyone by encouraging drivers to slow down and obey the speed limit." 

But they don't work if they have been tampered with, said Dasko.

"When they're toppled over, they're not functional, they're not doing their job," he said. "And I don't want anybody... to have a false sense of security that this is operational."

Dasko said one camera set up in his ward in front of Port Credit Secondary School has been regularly pushed over on its side. Two people flipped it over on Friday night.

Dasko said somebody has been spray-painting "try again" on its units. 

The vandalism often happens at night, he said.