'Darth Vader' Wants Flock in His Town
The short version: A Darth Vader cosplayer testified for Flock at a San Diego council meeting, turning a serious surveillance debate into a viral moment 404 Media captured well.
Our Take
Credit to 404 Media for catching this one: a person in a full Darth Vader costume stood up at a San Diego city council meeting to voice support for Flock Safety's ALPR cameras. It's funny, it's absurd, and it's also a pretty telling sign of where this fight stands right now — when the pro-surveillance side is showing up in costume, the opposition is clearly making noise loud enough to notice.
That noise matters. City councils from coast to coast are getting an earful from residents who've realized these cameras aren't just reading plates for stolen cars — they're building a permanent, searchable record of everywhere you drive, shared across agencies with little oversight and a track record of misuse. A guy in a cape doesn't change that reality, but the fact that these hearings are drawing costumes, crowds, and cable-news-worthy moments shows the public is paying attention in a way Flock's sales pitch never anticipated.
If your town is debating a Flock contract, don't leave it to chance — or to Vader. Check our camera map to see what's already been installed near you, and head to our take-action page for tools to push back before the next council vote.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of 404 Media, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.