Traffic police officers in trouble after their speed camera was stolen as they slept while on duty

Two traffic police officers, who dozed off in Rome, Italy, while on duty and woke up to find their expensive speed camera had been stolen, are facing suspension.

The officers were supposed to be tracking speed in the Casilina area on Friday night when they fell asleep in their car. They awoke at around 2am on Saturday to find that their speed camera, which was perched on a tripod in front of the vehicle, had been stolen.



At first, it was thought the officers could have been “drugged” by sleeping gas placed in the car’s ventilation system. But it was later concluded that they simply nodded off, perhaps aided by the warmth of the car's heater.

It’s a nap that could cost them dearly as the pair now face a disciplinary process, and possible suspension. The speed camera was part of a range introduced in the Italian capital in September last year.