In a surreal moment at a San Diego City Council committee meeting, a man dressed as Darth Vader stepped to the podium to voice support for the city's network of Flock surveillance cameras, declaring, "This is what the emperor needs." The costume-clad speaker, whose breathing was amplified through the chamber's microphone, addressed the Public Safety and Livable Neighborhoods Committee on Wednesday, urging council members to embrace the technology as a tool to track down "rebel scum" and locate the "hidden base on Hoth."
His theatrical remarks, however, quickly veered into pointed criticism of the council's broader policies. He suggested that the cameras, which include license plate readers and video and audio detection, could surveil individuals as they move between playgrounds, pools, and gymnasiums, claiming they are "not only following the license plate readers, they are following children."
The speaker then pivoted to local issues, advocating for tax increases to clear storm drains and calling for the removal of homeless encampments. He accused council members of using "doublespeak" to frame police actions as humanitarian, and directly challenged Councilmember Jennifer Campbell, saying, "Ms. Campbell, you must work on your Jedi mind tricks," before waving his hand theatrically.
His final plea invoked the Star Wars universe, asking that the cameras be used to "help us find Luke Skywalker as he traverses the universe in his X-wing." He concluded, "This technology is a necessary, necessary force."
The appearance comes amid growing scrutiny of Flock's surveillance systems nationwide. San Diego has deployed over 550 Flock cameras, according to the tracking map DeFlock. The city signed a yearlong agreement late last year to give the police department access to "open source intelligence" and data from other agencies, as reported by Axios.
Critics, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have raised alarms about mass surveillance and potential misuse. Flock has responded by shortening its recommended data retention window from 30 to seven days, but the ACLU dismissed the move as a "thinly-veiled PR attempt."
Local activists and some city officials have echoed these concerns, calling for alternatives to the cameras. The debate is part of a broader national conversation about the balance between public safety and privacy, with privacy backlash growing as camera networks expand.
Flock's CEO, Garrett Langley, has defended the technology as a crime-fighting tool, but the company faces lawsuits over its data practices. The San Diego council has yet to vote on any changes to its surveillance policies, but Wednesday's theatrics highlighted the passionate divide among residents.
