Red Light Robin Hood Subjected to Intimidation Tactics

In August 2015, Long Island resident, Stephen Ruth – who has been dubbed the “Red Light Robin Hood” – posted a YouTube video demonstrating how to turn red light cameras away from the road. “In order to do this successfully,” Ruth said in the video, “you only need a pair of balls and a paint extension rod. I’m going to show you how easy it is to take the power back.”

Ruth believes the shortened yellow light signals in his area, which are designed to trick people into getting red light camera fines, are causing accidents because people are speeding up to avoid getting a ticket.

“This is the government taking advantage, and it’s going to stop,” Ruth said.

After posting the YouTube video, police were tipped off, and Ruth was charged with four counts of third-degree criminal tampering and four counts of second-degree obstruction of governmental administration.

Undeterred by the charges, Ruth continued on his mission to render red light cameras inoperable. In an interview with CBS2 in April this year, Ruth proudly showed where he had cut the Cablevision wires to decommission, saying he didn’t know how many he’d done, but did as many as he could.

He told the CBS2 reporter that he “did it in order to save lives.” Ruth said he had noticed that wherever there were shortened yellow light signals, there were roadside shrines with flowers indicating a fatal accident.

It seems Ruth’s observations about the correlation between the location of red light cameras and car accidents has merits: CBS2 reported that the number of accidents with injuries was up at about half of the red light camera locations in Suffolk County, according to new data.

After the CBS2 interview, Ruth was again arrested and is facing two charges of second-degree criminal mischief, with each count carrying up to a seven-year sentence. In a press conference, Suffolk County’s police commissioner, Tim Sini, estimated that the damage caused by Ruth could be worth up to $100,000.

“The message here is very simple,” said Sini. “In Suffolk County you have the right to express yourself, you have the right to disagree with public policy, and you have the right to protest, but you do not have the right to violate the law and destroy public property. This investigation is continuing, we believe there are accomplices involved.”

While Ruth’s actions may have cost the county a lot of money, in addition to saving lives Ruth said in his original YouTube video after turning a camera away from the road: “I just saved people about $10,000 today with this camera.”

In an exclusive interview with The Free Thought Project, Ruth said he had recently been subjected to intimidation tactics while awaiting trial. His German shepherd went missing from his home, and a charcoal-colored Toyota sedan almost ran head on into Ruth while he was driving down a two-way street, before swerving at the last second and fleeing.

On April 29, Ruth tracked down the charcoal Toyota sedan and pursued it, posting a video of the encounter on YouTube.

Ruth has not been put off by the intimidation tactics and is continuing to fight the red light camera program in Suffolk County.

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