Being its victim stings pretty bad, but is the hurt worth a criminal record?
One – or several – alleged speed camera vandals took to the streets of Toronto this past week, making their mark and message on radar technology known, damaging 16 over the span of one night. And not to mention, the alleged vandals’ most sacred target, the Parkside Drive camera that was vandalized seven times in less than a year.
Ontario’s Premier denounced the radar technology, calling it a cash grab, and saying he wants them gone from cities. However, safety advocates are sounding the alarm on Ford’s comments, calling them dangerous and out of touch.
Although dozens of citizens took to social media to share their gratitude for the vandals’ Robin Hood-esque style, it begs the question of how far can criminal activity be mimicked and celebrated before it goes too far?
Host Richard Southern speaks to Jacqueline Helfgott, a criminology and forensics professor at Seattle University, to break down the intersection of media, crime, and notoriety that perpetrates what she calls ‘copy-cat crime.’
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