OVIEDO, Fla. — The Oviedo Police Department arrested a man for destroying a decoy ALPR camera the agency had set up, ClickOrlando.com reported.
The Aug. 20 arrest occurred after officials noted incidents of Flock camera vandalism were concentrated in one area and set up 3D-printed decoys. Officers found the man after he used a pair of pruning shears to cut the camera from its mount.
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He then threw the device to the ground before breaking it into multiple pieces, ClickOrlando reported. He ran away from the scene after breaking the camera, but stopped when a police sergeant turned on their lights and issued commands.
The man told investigators that the cameras, two of which were located near his home due to proximity to a different police jurisdiction, made him feel like a “constant eye” was watching him. He also reported having read criticism about the cameras online. He stated that the shears were only intended to be used to cut down the camera and he never wanted to use them against law enforcement.
The man was arrested and charged with criminal mischief causing more than $1,000 in damage, grand theft involving property valued between $750 and $5,000 and damaging or taking a computer, electronic device or related equipment.
The Oviedo Police Department told ClickOrlando that it had installed multiple bait cameras, which do not collect any license plate data.
