Someone spent the early hours of Saturday turning Avon's traffic cameras into scrap metal, and police want to know who was out on the roads while it happened.
Avon police say vandals destroyed multiple speed-enforcement camera poles and stole an automated license plate reader, leaving a light pole down near U.S. 6. The damage is believed to have occurred between about 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., and investigators are asking anyone who drove through the area during that window to check their dashcam footage and contact the Avon Police Department with any tips.
According to a Facebook post from the department, reported by Denver7, two speed-enforcement camera poles on Avon Road were destroyed and one speed camera was taken. In a separate incident, a light pole was knocked down, and an automated license plate reader (ALPR) camera was stolen near Stonebridge Drive and U.S. 6.
Police have labeled the damage and theft as felony criminal mischief and theft and urged anyone who traveled through those corridors between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. to call 970-748-4040.
How Avon's Camera System Works
The damaged gear is part of Avon's Automated Vehicle Identification System (AVIS), a speed-enforcement setup authorized by local ordinance and state law. The system uses cameras on key corridors, including Avon Road and U.S. 6, to clock drivers and issue citations to those going well over the limit.
A town report dated May 12 states that since December 2025, the program has issued 7,483 citations. The same report says Avon has seen about a 96.9% reduction in high-level speeding within AVIS enforcement corridors. The document also details vendor fees, how citations are processed, and notes that net revenue from the program is earmarked for public-safety and traffic improvements.
Do The Cameras Actually Slow Drivers Down?
Federal researchers say the approach appears to be working, at least in Avon and neighboring mountain towns. A U.S. Department of Transportation Intelligent Transportation Systems evaluation found that automated speed enforcement in Avon, Vail and Glenwood Springs coincided with drops in speeding of between 45% and 90%. Avon logged one of the steepest declines after citations began, according to the review.
Town officials point to those numbers when they argue the cameras are about safety, not just tickets. The federal evaluation is part of a broader look at how camera enforcement is playing out in Colorado's mountain communities.
Money, Repairs And Public-Safety Fallout
Avon's program update shows the town has collected about $156,962 online from citations, with vendor invoices to date totaling roughly $41,080. Town documents say those dollars go back into enforcement efforts and staffing.
Now, with cameras stolen or knocked down, the town will have to pay to repair or replace them, cutting into that revenue and temporarily reducing coverage in areas officials credit with curbing speeding and helping investigations.
Felony Case And Call For Tips
The Avon Police Department underscored that it is treating the incidents as felony criminal mischief and theft and said investigators are actively pursuing leads. Anyone with dashcam footage from the affected areas or information about the vandalism is urged to call the Avon Police Department at 970-748-4040, according to the department's social media post reported by Denver7.
