‘Red Light Robin Hood’ arrested for thwarting ‘rigged’ traffic light cameras

A 26-year-old US man has been arrested for putting plastic bags over two red-light cameras at an intersection in Long Island, New York.

Bryan Valentine was arrested on last Friday night after physically tampering with the two cameras.

Mr Valentine was believed to be acting on behalf of a group dedicated to the practice, called the “Red Light Robin Hoods”.

Group leader Stephen Ruth said Mr Valentine was never deterred by fear of arrest.

“He was a believer that this is unconstitutional and nothing more than a systematic form of extortion,” he told the New York Post.

“All I can do is give the guy respect.”

Mr Ruth faced similar charges after he posted a video on Facebook last year explaining how to put red-light cameras out of commission.

The video shows Mr Ruth using a paint extension pole to turn the lens of the camera away from the intersection, thereby preventing it from taking photos of passing cars.

“I just saved people about US$10,000 (A$13,104) today with this camera,” he can be heard saying in the video.

“This is government taking advantage, and it’s going to stop!”

Mr Ruth complained on Facebook last year about one instance where a local priest received four “unjust” red-light camera tickets in a month.

He hopes his campaign will one day gain nationwide support.