Overview
- A person dressed as Darth Vader spoke during public comment at the San Diego Public Safety and Livable Neighborhoods Committee on August 19, using Star Wars‑themed language to deliver a satirical defense of Flock cameras.
- The speaker joked that “The Emperor is a fan of Flock,” said the cameras could track children and allowed him to “stalk my ex‑girlfriend,” and used the performance to question council credibility on surveillance choices.
- San Diego already has more than 550 Flock cameras mapped by community trackers and signed a one‑year arrangement for Flock’s Nova investigative tools late last year, a fact critics cited during the meeting.
- The appearance came as Flock has announced policy changes — including shorter default data retention and audit tools — after national reporting and local audits documented cases where officers allegedly misused ALPR access to track people.
- The cosplayer’s identity remains unrevealed and the stunt intensified local protests and calls from activists and some officials for stricter rules, audits, or a reevaluation of the city’s Flock agreement.