‘Darth Vader’ speaks out in support of Flock cameras at government meeting

Our Take

WBRC 6 News caught a genuinely surreal moment: someone in a full Darth Vader costume stood up at a San Diego city council meeting to voice support for Flock Safety's license plate readers, joking that "the emperor is a fan of flock." It's a good bit — but it's also a pretty sharp piece of political theater. Nothing says "authoritarian surveillance apparatus" quite like the Empire's most recognizable enforcer showing up to cheerlead for a network of always-on cameras logging every car that passes.

The joke lands because it's not far from the truth. San Diego reportedly has more than 500 Flock cameras deployed across the city, quietly building a searchable database of where residents drive, when, and how often — all without a warrant, and often without residents even knowing the cameras are there. Council meetings like this one are usually where the real debate happens, buried under procedural language and vendor talking points, while costume-clad protest is one of the few ways left to cut through and make people actually pay attention.

Comic relief aside, the underlying issue is dead serious: a city council quietly approving hundreds of surveillance devices is a pattern playing out nationwide with little scrutiny. Check our camera map to see what's already watching your streets, and head to take-action if you want to push back before your city needs its own Sith Lord to show up and make the point for you.