Man dressed as Darth Vader appeared before San Diego officials to mock Flock cameras. Sarcastic speech targeted surveillance, policing, homelessness, and government spending. Flock’s plate-reading network continues facing privacy concerns and growing resistance. Public meetings aren’t usually a source of gripping entertainment, but San Diego councilors just got a visit from the Dark Side. A man dressed head to toe as Darth Vader stepped up to the microphone and delivered a savage takedown of controversial Flock Safety cameras, all while staying firmly in character. The unidentified Sith Lord appeared during public comment at a San Diego City Council Public Safety Committee meeting. Rather than simply complain about automated license plate readers, he enthusiastically pretended to endorse them on behalf of the Empire. Related: Google’s AI Told People Flock Cameras Are Stuffed With Gold. They Aren’t “The Emperor is a fan of Flock,” he announced, before explaining that the technology could help “follow and surveil the Rebel scum” as they travelled between playgrounds, pools, and gymnasiums. Some of the other attendees visible in a YouTube video of Vader’s speech struggled to keep straight faces. Our wannabe Darth joked that the cameras could help him stalk an ex-girlfriend, then broadened his satirical attack to police funding, homelessness policies, public services, and incarceration. Eventually, the Star Wars references returned at full hyperspace. Vader claimed the cameras could locate the Rebels’ secret base on Hoth and even track Luke Skywalker flying around in his X-wing, concluding that the technology was a “necessary, necessary force.” Finds Missing People, Alienates Others Behind the comedy sits a much more serious fight. Flock’s automated cameras photograph vehicles and record license plates, giving police a searchable system that supporters argue can help locate missing people, recover stolen cars, and identify suspects. Critics are considerably less enthusiastic. The Guardian reports that a San Diego man spent a month jailed after a Flock reader incorrectly connected him with an attempted violent carjacking. It also says roughly 100 municipalities had deactivated, cancelled, or rejected Flock contracts by August 2026, citing figures from DeFlock. San Diego nevertheless voted last December to keep using the system, and for now, the cameras remain operational, much to the Empire’s delight. Whether Vader persuaded anyone is another question, but he certainly found a more memorable way to complain about surveillance than another three-minute PowerPoint. Photos: Flock, City of San Diego
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