.
Feedback

Speed Camera on South Rolling Road Torched

The camera was at the newest location at the intersection of Brook Road and Gary Drive on South Rolling Road.

The speed camera on South Rolling Road was destroyed after vandals set fire to the metal box early Friday morning, according to police.

The act comes a week after the were installed by the county at the intersection of Brook Road and Gary Drive on South Rolling Road. 

Officials had added the third site along South Rolling Road after many residents complained about excessive speeding along that stretch of the road.

Police received a call at 1:40 a.m. for a fire along the 400 block of South Rolling Road, according to police spokeswoman Elise Armacost.

When Engine 41 from Catonsville responded to the scene, firefighters saw that the metal box that holds the camera was on fire. Firefighters extinquished it and police investigators were called to the scene, Armacost said.

Police determined that the fire was a first-degree malicious burning, but said they do not have any suspects at this time.

Armacost said the fire caused $13,000 in damages.

Marty Haggerty, who lives on South Rolling Road across the street from the camera, was awakened by his wife last night amid the commotion.

He watched as firefighters extinguished the camera, which he said was in flames.

"It was frightening," he said. "My kids were crying."

Haggerty, who worked along with many neighbors along that stretch of road to add the camera, said he was angered by the act of vandalism. He said he thought the fire was set by someone who didn't like the camera. 

"If you're opposed to the speed camera, you don't do an act of terrorism," he said. "We got this camera by playing by the rules."

County speed cameras have been . Someone spray painted a camera near Sparrows Point High School in Edgemere and someone broke the lens on a camera near Padonia Elementary School in Cockeysville, according to police.

County officials said they have contacted the vendor and expect to install a new camera. In the meantime, the speed camera that rotates between both sides of South Rolling Road by will still be in operation.

 

Newsletter & Alerts

Get the best stories each day and important breaking news

Subscribe

Not from Catonsville Patch? Find your Local Patch »

Buck Harmon April 26, 2012 at 04:08 am
Travel in your personal property requires no permission from the government. If you consider the way that you travel a PRIVILEGE granted by the government then that's your business. As a free human being I exercise my RIGHT to travel freely every day.. and without incident. I will never bow to the ruler because he tells me I have to.
Sheeple have failed our Country miserably....it's why things are not going very well for the good ol USA these days.
Buck Harmon April 26, 2012 at 04:12 am
Resident, I guess you also think that the Federal Reserve Bank is a part of our government as well..... such a dumbed down public....Education MUST be improved for such important matters of our Country.
Buck Harmon April 26, 2012 at 04:20 am
O yea, that's right....the "honey child " police could be lurking...I applied for a permit to use that sweet little term of endearment though....sweet dreams..
Resident April 26, 2012 at 04:25 am
Mr. Harmon,
First of all, there are several people on here with the same user name "Resident" so do not assume that all these comments are coming from the same person. Secondly, you are correct. Travel in your own person property does not require permission from the government, IF you are traveling on private property. If you choose to drive on public roadways, then yes, you do have to have the "permission" of the government in the form of a valid drivers license to use public roadways. And if you choose to violate the laws and rules which are a condition of using said public roadways, then the government has the legal justification to revoke your drivers license. This has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not you can utilize your own private property. It pertains to WHERE you can utilize your private property. Also, this is a forum for people to share their opinions. Why do you feel the need to be insulting to others for exercising their freedom of speech, regardless of their level of education.
Buck Harmon April 26, 2012 at 04:43 am
Too many Residents are making comments that are just not true...most likely due to the limited dumb down, government approved education that they were fed. Some refer to this as growing up being brain washed in the public education system.
When I read a comment that I know is not correct I freely respond with my opinion. I also realize that when exercising this right using my REAL name that I will be subject to criticism as well....goes with the turf...get over it or use your real name when stepping up to the plate...too many dumbed down Residents using the same fake name in my opinion. Speed trap camera's have built in failure and inaccuracy. Couple that with the fact that they invade privacy, and are expensive and you have a dumb solution to a very serious problem. The arguments FOR poorly made speed trap camera's are lame at best.
Buck Harmon April 26, 2012 at 04:44 am
A dumb non-solution...
Lorna D. Rudnikas April 26, 2012 at 04:49 am
Love your "honey child" sense of humor Buck!!!
Lorna D. Rudnikas April 26, 2012 at 04:50 am
What is this constant "sign in" crap-a-vou???
Cal Oren April 26, 2012 at 05:25 am
There is not enough evidence here to convince me, or any reasonable person, that any crime has been committed. Someone named "Resident" says that "an investigator" shared critical information with "several neighbors." Do any of these sources you are quoting have actual names? Until convincing evidence is presented, everyone should just calm down. I still say an electrical problem inside the locked stainless steel cabinet is a more likely cause of this fire.
Paul Amirault April 26, 2012 at 10:17 am
Buck, many tax protesters (dummies) such as yourself have tried this same logic many times before, it is not new. Try not paying your taxes and making your nutty claim.
You'll pay.
Paul Amirault April 26, 2012 at 10:20 am
Buck, anytime you wish to discuss plastic shack housing I'll be glad to indulge. Apparently another subject you know very little about, not surprising.
Buck Harmon April 26, 2012 at 11:53 am
I had to sign in 2 times last evening as well Lorna...also the email notification that Patch uses has been "improved"?? Every notification from every comment on any blog just says.." noreply new comment", that's it !!
I have asked Westminsrer Patch, Reisterstown Patch, Towson Patch and now Catonsville Patch about this annoying new addition to the forum...no one seems to know why....It is not my browser, had the Geeks check it out... Great day to you!
Lorna D. Rudnikas April 26, 2012 at 12:11 pm
And to you as well!
Lorna D. Rudnikas April 26, 2012 at 12:13 pm
oh, oh, first time I have had to get "approval" for anything, must less "and to you as well"....hope it does not have anything to do with the "crap-a-vou" question.... :-)
Buck Harmon April 26, 2012 at 12:24 pm
Paul, that was a very vague response,,,come on.. you can do better than that.
I have always paid every legal tax that is required of me.. I will never pay a tax that can not be proven legal, it's because of what I know... nothing what so ever to do with the general term "tax protester' that you use. I could care less if citizens want to pay a voluntary tax, the government deceptively promotes that. The 16th Amendment to the Constitution was NEVER fully ratified by the states.. therefore it is a non-law..always has been. You can not provide valid evidence to back your claim that it was...I could teach you but I don't believe that you would be an astute student worthy of the knowledge that I have to share...and certainly not on this very long blog. Regarding the new home market over the last 20plus years...I am an expert..... The vast majority of new homes have been built to the lowest quality allowed by law, (minimum code requirement).. hence, home purchasers were (and still are) buying new homes built to minimum standards at best and paying TOP dollar based on location.... one of the largest and most deceptive scams ever bestowed upon the people. Guys like you....that have made the claim of being in the 1% took advantage of this greed driven process that is being paid for dearly by the consumer today. You should hang your head in shame , rather than tout the 1% crap. I'm on to you game big time Paul and you just don't like it....
Paul Amirault April 26, 2012 at 01:06 pm
Buck, let's start with every court case attempting to prove the invalidity of the 16th Amendment has been dismissed. Every one. You are flat wrong. Quote the one case, just one, that has held up on appeal and is the law of the land.
Regarding homebuilding, your show your ignorance there too. Obviously minimum standards have to be set by almost every regulated industry. What you fail to recognize or accept, is that the minimum standard has been continually raised. Today's minimum standards far exceeds those of 20 years ago. So much for your expertise there. Regarding the 1%, it is called capitalism. You prefer socialism I guess?
Tim April 26, 2012 at 01:09 pm
This site is run by AOL, and as such, is trash. If there were a better option then this for local news, I'd go to it.
The community is what makes it. Like facebook, another trash social media data gathering item. If I didn't have a kid, I wouldn't be on it at all.
Tim April 26, 2012 at 01:11 pm
The 'approval pending' is a jedi mind trick. It only sets that up for people who post and don't login. If you post, then login, then hit f5, you'll see your post is no longer 'pending approval'.
Just more terrible code and advertising from AOL. it's also why you'll continue to see this website progressively whored out over time. It's starting with the Walgreen's ad on every page, although it's sadly fitting for this community.
Buck Harmon April 26, 2012 at 01:28 pm
Paul, Corrupt courts~judges have in fact played a huge role in the trampling of the Constitution.... Much like they, and code enforcement and shoddy developers, crooked banker lenders....all working in unison to collectively screw the average citizen out of every possible dollar possible, by offering low grade products at highest possible dollar thru deception.
This is the kind of arena that you have doddled in Paul.
Jean April 26, 2012 at 01:52 pm
It was reported on the major local networks. Also on video at WBAL's website -video interview of Ms. Armacost, spokesperson for the County Police Department. I don't know if they checked her credentials prior to the interview, but I understand she is pretty well known...
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but if you are looking for facts, I would suggest doing your own due diligence rather than relying on comments typed into a single internet forum.
Nick Z. April 26, 2012 at 05:06 pm
See Penny's reply to Buck above:
Penny Riordan 5:48 pm on Monday, April 23, 2012 "Hi Buck, it could be something with your browser, but even as the editor I now have to sign in multiple times a day when I go away from the site for an hour or so. This changed a few weeks ago with an update we did on the site. No government control here...just constant changes and tweaks to the site."
Nick Z. April 26, 2012 at 05:22 pm
You've said this a couple times but it hasn't caught on. Maybe you should go to a Board of Education meeting and suggest it. You can say how your education in the county was so watered down, and how people would be better taught by reading blogs online.
Paul Amirault April 26, 2012 at 06:18 pm
Nick Z., I would disagree with you 100%, there is very little "learning" going on in an atmosphere of anonymity and hiding behind screen names as very few are willing to disclose who they are. Exposure to other ideas and concepts, yes, learning, not necessarily.
Cal Oren April 26, 2012 at 08:01 pm
Not meaning to belabor the point, but thanks for pointing to some other sources. I checked them all out, although only found a print version (not video) of Armacost's comments. She appears to have issued that statement about it being a "malicious burning" (not arson) the day after the fire. I see quite a few amateur opinions, and a couple of real names, so that is a step forward, but then again you would hardly expect the service rep for the company that supplies the cameras to blame his company's equipment. Nor does the neighbor (who claims this was "terrorism" and estimates the fire was burning for half an hour before the fire department arrived) or a radio reporter who thought he smelled gas count as reliable evidence that the fire was intentionally set. I have no idea how the fire started. My only point is it doesn't appear that there is any solid reason yet to conclude that it was - or wasn't- set intentionally.Enough said on the subject until something credible is reported.
Tim Davies April 26, 2012 at 09:13 pm
"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety".
-Benjamin Franklin, shortly before February 17, 1775 as part of his notes for a proposition at the Pennsylvania Assembly
Nick Z. April 27, 2012 at 07:38 pm
@Paul - I completely agree with you. I was mearly suggesting that buck should try and suggest his idea to the Board of Ed and see how it went over.
lilkunta May 17, 2012 at 08:04 am
@ dale green 9:08 pm on Friday, April 20, 2012
Stop overexaggerating. haggerty's kids were crying bc it was they were asleep and woken up bc there were firefighters/police making noise and flashing lights. The kids didnt say they were crying bc of terrorism. This was vandalism not terrorism.
BigDan June 4, 2012 at 10:38 pm
Good! I hope they all get torched. I'm sick of garbage things like this all in the name of "safety". If it's about safety why don't you start cracking down on alcohol? Hmmm? How about this: Hold bars that overserve patrons accountable. Make them find out who the DD is or if the patrons are planning on walking/taking a taxi home.
It's not about safety, it's about money. People are ok with TSA agents sticking a finger up their rear all in the name of "safety"...people are ok with illegal speed cameras (I HAVE THE RIGHT TO FACE MY ACCUSER. A CAMERA IS NOT A PERSON. JUDGES HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST WHEN THEY FORCE PEOPLE TO PAY THESE TICKETS BECAUSE THEY WORK FOR THE GOVERNMENT) because they think it's about safety. Hey guess what? Cars are being equipped with GPS devices that track the car all the time...I'd like to see how many of you pro camera jerks are still going to be talking about "safety" everytime your car reports you going 1 mph above the speed limit. Big Brother needs to DIE.
Other Tim June 5, 2012 at 12:19 am
What happened? Get caught?
Craig Rollins June 5, 2012 at 01:57 am
Not going to agree or disagree with anyone here; just want to mention my experience with a red light camera.....someone stole the tags off my car; two days after I reported it to the police, someone had put them on their car and ran two red lights on Wilkens Avenue. It took a couple of weeks for me to get the tickets in the mail; but the car in the picture was obviously not mine. I called them, and they gave me my options - pay the tickets, or go to court and provide proof that it was not my car. I thought in the age of computers this could have been easily verified, but apparently not. Loosing a day of work was far more expensive than the fines, so my most economical way out was to pay the tickets. While there may be benefits to speed and red light cameras, situations do occur which a law abiding citizen is penalized unfairly. My point is that the camera system is far from fool-proof and in my situation, I was guilty unless I could prove myself innocent.
Note Article
Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
Stacy June 13, 2013 at 03:42 pm
Still no word?
John Taylor June 14, 2013 at 03:21 am
I'm checking with the other shifts to find out if there was a reunion of pet and owner. I hope toRead More have good news soon.
Janet Metzner (Editor) June 17, 2013 at 07:49 pm
From what I just heard after talking to a sergeant at the station, the owner has been found, orRead More animal control came to get the stray dog. He's not certain. @Cpl Taylor, were you able to find out? Thanks! -Janet
Sanchez June 7, 2013 at 03:16 pm
Hide that gun Annie before the hoplophobes in Annapolis take it from you!
Sanchez June 7, 2013 at 03:18 pm
Annie Oakley today would be banned form doing what she did and she would be slurred and slammed andRead More insulted by the hoplophobes. She would be forced into retirement and onto taxpayer funded benefits.
Sanchez June 1, 2013 at 02:20 pm
Will the City Government decide this group must post signs that state what work they do and don'tRead More do?
Sanchez June 3, 2013 at 05:20 pm
EVERYTHING is special there! They also have a great selection of wine! Yes wine. The jalapenoRead More cheese bread is amazing. The chocolate pumpkin muffins are delectable with big chunks of chocolate. And look for the rack of local products like coffee and granola and dog treats.
Sanchez June 3, 2013 at 05:21 pm
Oella Ave is one of the worse. Westchester Ave in areas look like they have not been paved forRead More decades.
Lorraine Doucette June 4, 2013 at 12:49 am
Why does the Ellicott City zip code go into Oella?
Jim Opasik May 10, 2013 at 07:33 pm
The Husky "BLUE" has been reclaimed by it"s owner..........Happy Face for me :~)Read More Jim Opasik
BDineen January 20, 2013 at 04:21 am
Have u found Lemmy yet? We were at Patapsco (Sawmill/Santee Trail) today, saw the flyers but didn'tRead More see her around. So sorry to hear this. Is she chipped?