KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Police have lost red-light cameras to traffic accidents but never to gun play. "This is the first one that's been shot," Capt. Gordon Catlett said of the wounded camera at the intersection of Broadway Avenue and Interstate 640 — one of 15 camera-equipped intersections in the city. Clifford E. Clark, 47, was charged with felony vandalism and reckless endangerment for allegedly firing at least three rounds from a .30-06 hunting rifle at the camera, knocking it out of action. He was arrested after patrol officers heard shots around 2 a.m. Sunday, spotted a minivan leaving the parking lot of a closed business and pulled it over. Inside they found Clark and the high-powered rifle. Clark, now facing a $50 fine if convicted and loss of his rifle, refused to say anything about the incident to police, leaving the motive unclear.
So they stopped a innocent/till proven guilty van on what PC? There is more to this that we don't know. That said, if they just randomly stopped him and searched his van then he has a good case. Somehow, I think that is what really happened. But I will give them the benefit of the doubt. Those things (cameras) don't last long here. Driving the controllers nuts as they loose at least 4 a month.
That is a great idea minus the use of a firearm. Wouldn't it be nice if taggers somehow just loved spray painting red light cams instead of walls ?
There was someone going around our city a couple of years ago with a high power laser, burning them out. He was good enough that they never caught who did it.
Wonder where we can get those? The laser diodes in a CD burner can be substituted for the one in a pointing device and it will light matches but I don't know if it will burn out a camera diode? The mad scientist is about to experiment.
Careful with that, needless to say it can burn your eyes in extremely short order. Suggestion would be to use dvd burners as to they use visible light. So you can at least see where the beam is going. Cd burners use a wavelength beyond what we can see. I believe I read the same article a while back and they needed a lense out of another less powerful laser. Or you can simply buy one of the quite illegal 200mw lasers that apparantly you can pop baloons with and light matches. You can find them in websites based outside of the united states and have them shipped to you. Sometimes, I gather that customs will confescate but sometimes they get through.
Where I live, being out after dark is generally accepted as grounds to get stopped. When I worked graveyard shift, and commuted by bike, I got stopped several times a month. And in my old, beat up van, the only place they won't stop me at night is the freeway. There's one local road where I reliably get stopped about every 10 miles, between 8:00pm and 5:00am. When I take that road, I go about 7 miles on it. I get stopped at least every other trip during those hours. They've never given me so much as a speeding ticket. I don't even ask any more why they pulled me over. It just annoys them. Welcome to the new America. Coming soon to a neighborhood near you.
Here ya go Mr. Mad Scientist. I have heard that the 250w mounted into a 10-22 stock with a scope **rigged on it is very effective. Plus look at the range. http://www.spymodex.com/laser002.htm
Geez $750 for a laser pointer ??? for that kind of money I'll walk up to it and point with my finger.
Mighty tempting eh ? It pops balloons too. But I'm too cheap. I'll just take my chances that I won't need to point at something 100miles away. [shrug]
I wish I could get one of those things, but the budget is barely able to handle the trap shells and a few other items that go bang. (But think of the stealthy putting out of street lights that come in the bedroom window. Mind boggling. The local politzei staking out the street to see who does it --)
Must resist..... shouldn't do it...... dang it is just sooo tempting. Burn out stupid red light cameras. Lol, I don't even run red lights but it would be soooo awesome to cost THEM money for a change.
Hey ! I was perfectly happy in my little fantasy land there. Didn't have to ruin it with all that logic. Lol, but them indeed is us isn't it ?
Would a laser really knock out a surveillance camera? How powerful would it need to be? I have one that will burn holes in trash-bags and light a cigar.
Heh, maybe you could run some tests and let us know.... If it can be done a good distance away maybe it can be done safely and accurately aimed with a scope. I would hate to do it haphazardly and end up blinding some innocent person. Either way just be careful and don't get caught.