As someone who has fought and won (had dismissed) a red light camera ticket, I get quite a chuckle when I drive through parts of Santa Ana and Anaheim and see all the cameras smashed and mutilated. Those folks don’t mess around.
Your assumption that the locals destroyed the cameras may well be in error. Check this bit: http://news.yahoo.com/flash-light-across-phoenix-skies-mystery-235359289.html So, how many times do you think a traffic camera array is going to turn up a UFO and live?