A California man took a creative approach to protesting Flock cameras during a local meeting, donning a Darth Vader costume to troll their use.
The man leaned into the Star Wars villain’s persona during a San Diego government meeting on Wednesday, promoting the virtues of the controversial tracking cameras in a satirical monologue. As public safety council members looked on, the man assumed the Sith Lord’s signature breathing, telling the audience he needed the technology to “stalk my ex-girlfriend,” in a reference to scandals where police officers have abused the system to track romantic interests.
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“The emperor is a fan of Flock, and we must continue utilizing Flock technologies so that we can follow and surveil the Rebel scum as they move from playground to playground, from playground to pool, from pool to gymnasium because we all know that the Flock cameras are not only following the license plate readers; they are following children,” the man said. “They are following children in parks and gymnasiums, and we need this.”
“Also, it should be known that the people of this town, the poors that want their storm drains cleared, should not have their storm drains cleared because, in order to do that, we will have to raise taxes,” he continued.
Flock cameras automatically read license plates and are used by more than 6,000 municipalities, with over 120,000 cameras active across 49 states, according to the company. Unlike red light cameras, which are supposed to be triggered by only a violation, Flock ALPRS captures a digital fingerprint of every passing vehicle. Police agencies can share data across state lines with other law enforcement departments, as well as government agencies. The system has sparked questions about long-term tracking and privacy, with some worrying that its deployment infringes on Fourth Amendment rights by obtaining private information without a warrant or court order.
San Diego officials are among those who have adopted the Flock system, signing a deal last year to provide the San Diego Police Department with access to “open source intelligence” and data from other law enforcement agencies, according to Axios. San Diego has more than 550 Flock cameras across the city, according to the tracking map DeFlock.
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“This is what the emperor needs. This technology will help us find the rebel scum and the hidden base on Hoth,” the man told officials at the San Diego meeting on Wednesday, referring to the ice planet from The Empire Strikes Back. He concluded with a plea for Flock cameras to be used to “help us find Luke Skywalker as he traverses the universe in his X-wing.”
“This technology is a necessary, necessary force,” he said.
