Darth Vader impersonator defends Flock surveillance cameras

The surveillance debate took an unexpected turn when a man in a Darth Vader costume disrupted a San Diego City Council meeting on Wednesday. He delivered an unusual, Star Wars-themed endorsement of the city’s contentious Flock camera system, complete with the character’s signature heavy breathing echoing through the council microphone.

The council referred to the masked figure as “Darth Vader” as he approached the podium during a Public Safety and Livable Neighborhoods Committee session.

“This is what the emperor needs. This technology will help us find the rebel scum and the hidden base on Hoth,” he declared, referencing the icy planet from “The Empire Strikes Back.”

Then, the situation became even more peculiar.

The costumed individual encouraged officials to use the cameras to track “rebel scum” moving between playgrounds, pools, and gymnasiums.

“Because we all know that the Flock cameras are not only following the license plate readers, they are following children,” he remarked.

The Darth Vader impersonator then veered into a variety of San Diego’s political issues.

He mentioned increasing taxes to clear storm drains and remove homeless encampments.

He also suggested that council members could use “doublespeak” to present the police department as humanitarian.

He then directly questioned the council’s credibility.

“And how will the people trust this City Council when this City Council continues to vote for surveillance technology that imprisons them? Ms. Campbell, you must work on your Jedi mind tricks,” he said, addressing Council member Jennifer Campbell.

He followed this with a demonstration, gesturing toward the audience.

“Do it like this.”

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His final plea was a call worthy of the Empire itself.

Vader suggested using the Flock cameras to “help us find Luke Skywalker as he traverses the universe in his X-wing.”

“This technology is a necessary, necessary force,” he concluded.

The dramatic display happened as San Diego faces growing scrutiny over its real-world surveillance system.

Late last year, city officials signed a one-year contract allowing the San Diego Police Department access to “open source intelligence” and data from other law enforcement agencies, according to Axios, which reported on the agreement in April.

Currently, there are over 550 Flock cameras throughout San Diego, according to the Flock tracking map DeFlock.

Flock’s technology includes license plate readers, video cameras, and audio detection tools.

The system captures license plate numbers along with vehicle details, including the make, model, and even bumper stickers.

However, the cameras have become a point of contention.

Axios reported this week that local activists and some city officials are advocating for alternatives, joining nationwide critics concerned about mass surveillance and the potential misuse of the technology by law enforcement.

Flock announced modifications to its privacy and data retention policies in response to the backlash.

The company stated it would reduce its recommended default data retention period from 30 days to seven days, cutting down the time information is stored in its systems.

Additionally, law enforcement will be required to provide a case code to search Flock data.

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