Documented Incident

Costumed speaker satirizes Flock ALPR surveillance at San Diego City Council meeting

Event: August 20, 2026 · First reported: August 22, 2026 · 13 sources

During the public comment period of a San Diego City Council meeting on public safety, a speaker in full Darth Vader costume addressed the city's consideration of Flock Safety license plate reader cameras. Speaking in character when his name was called, he delivered a satirical endorsement of the cameras, citing surveillance of "rebel scum," following children, and stalking an ex-girlfriend. The remarks were reported by FOX from footage provided by the City of San Diego via Storyful, published August 21, 2026.

Key facts

• The comments were made at a San Diego City Council meeting on public safety held on a Thursday, in the public comment portion.
• The speaker's satirical remarks referenced known categories of alleged ALPR misuse, including tracking romantic partners.
• FOX reported that, per a tracker maintained by the advocacy group DeFlock, more than 50 agencies or jurisdictions have canceled, suspended, rejected or deactivated Flock contracts or cameras since the start of the year.
• The Washington Post reported finding nearly 50 instances of officers charged with or accused of using the cameras for unauthorized purposes, many involving current or former partners or family members.
• Flock has also been credited with locating missing seniors, catching car thieves, and providing evidence in cases including the 2025 Brown University shooting.

Sources

This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.

• Watch : Man dressed as Darth Vader speaks on Flock cameras at San Diego council meeting (fox35orlando.com, August 22, 2026)
• Man in Darth Vader Costume Praises Flock Cameras at City Council Meeting: ‘The Emperor Is a Fan’ (Common Dreams, August 20, 2026)
• ‘Darth Vader’ comes out in favor of Flock cameras at San Diego city council meeting (The Guardian, August 21, 2026)
• Watch : Man dressed as Darth Vader speaks on Flock cameras at San Diego council meeting (fox32chicago.com, August 21, 2026)
• Man dressed as Darth Vader defends Flock cameras to San Diego City Council: ‘This is what the emperor needs’ (The Hill, August 20, 2026)
• Watch : Man dressed as Darth Vader speaks on Flock cameras at San Diego council meeting (foxla.com, August 21, 2026)
• ‘The Emperor is a fan of Flock’: Man dressed as Darth Vader defends surveillance cameras at San Diego City Council meeting (fox5sandiego.com, August 20, 2026)
• ‘The Emperor Is a Fan of Flock’: Darth Vader Speaks at City Council Meeting (Gizmodo, August 20, 2026)
• Watch : Darth Vader defends Flock cameras at San Diego City Council meeting (upi.com, August 21, 2026)
• Watch : Man dressed as Darth Vader speaks on Flock cameras at San Diego council meeting (fox2detroit.com, August 21, 2026)
• Watch : Man dressed as Darth Vader speaks on Flock cameras at San Diego council meeting (fox7austin.com, August 21, 2026)
• ‘Darth Vader’ comes out in favor of Flock cameras at San Diego city council meeting (AOL.co.uk, August 21, 2026)
• This Is What the Emperor Need : Darth Vader Shows Up at San Diego City Council Meeting to Mock Flock Cameras (breitbart.com, August 21, 2026)

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About this record

BlockFlockNow documents reported incidents involving Flock Safety cameras and automated license plate readers: council votes, contract decisions, misuse by authorized users, lawsuits, audits, and community response. Every record is reviewed by a person before publication. New to the topic? Start with What is Flock?, find meetings near you, or learn how to request your town's camera records.

Updated August 25, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.