Second ‘horrific’ attack on Victorian traffic camera worker in nine days

A worker in the car was left shaken after someone smashed the windows and cut the tires in the second incident in nine days, after another traffic camera car was hit by a four-wheel drive while a worker was inside.

The two attacks are among four “really serious incidents” involving traffic camera cars in Victoria since April 25, which police say they are very concerned about.

A traffic camera was parked on the side of Bellarine Highway in Point Lonsdale in the Victoria region around 8.50pm yesterday when its windows were smashed with what police believe was a metal bar and its tires were cut across.

Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said the worker was fortunately able to drive away from the scene and was unharmed.

“It would be absolutely awful to sit in your car and do your work in the dark, and suddenly out of nowhere comes a maniac attacking you with a rod,” he said.

The Assistant Commissioner said that such “really sweeping attacks” were considered “advanced criminal behavior” and were subject to specific police charges.

He said the “really cowardly” attacks had “caused real harm and distress to the camera operators” and were also “really, really harmful to the wider road safety program”.

“We depend on the operators to do their job and keep the Victorians safe,” he said.

“I just do not understand why anyone is attacking someone who is just doing their job and trying to protect Victorian roads.”

He said police were convinced they would make some arrests over the incidents in the near future.

Police want to talk to anyone who has information or dashcam footage of the incidents.