Darth Vader backs 'Flock' surveillance cameras. See the video.
The short version: A Darth Vader stunt at a San Diego public safety meeting turned Flock camera debate into a viral moment, but the surveillance stakes behind the joke are dead serious.
Our Take
Credit to TODAY Californian for capturing this one: someone showed up to a San Diego public safety meeting dressed as Darth Vader to make a point about Flock Safety cameras. It's a stunt, sure, but the symbolism lands — these ALPR networks really do function like an empire's surveillance grid, quietly logging where everyone drives, whether or not they're suspected of anything.
The costume is funny. The underlying fight isn't. City councils across the country are approving Flock contracts in routine meetings with little public debate, and residents often don't find out their plates are being logged thousands of times a year until someone starts asking questions. A guy in a cape getting attention is one way to force that conversation into the room.
If San Diego is on your radar, check our camera map to see what's already been deployed near you, and visit take-action for ways to push back before your city council quietly signs another contract.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of TODAY Californian, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.