Armed civilians in the Sinaloa cities of Mazatlán and Culiacán shot out 40 video surveillance cameras in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day.

Mazatlán Mayor Luis Guillermo Benítez Torres asked state authorities to investigate the vandalism and replace the equipment as soon as possible.

Although he said he knew of only three damaged cameras in the city, state Public Security Secretary Cristóbal Castañeda Camarillo said the number was actually 22. The majority were located along roads connecting with the México City-Nogales highway.

The rest of the damaged cameras were located in Culiacán.

Benítez said his administration will contribute to the state Attorney General’s Office’s investigation to identify the vandals, but that the responsibility to replace the cameras ultimately falls on the state Secretariat of Public Security.

State authorities reported that the destruction of the 18 cameras in Culiacán was carried out by armed men in at least four vehicles. They were recorded shooting at the cameras on Pedro Infante and La Conquista boulevards, among other streets in the city.

Castañeda said replacing and repairing the cameras should take around 30 days and added that both cities saw similar acts of vandalism in September and November of last year.

Source: El Universal (sp), Línea Directa (sp)