Great Job, Internet!: Darth Vader, Galactic Empire support San Diego's Flock cameras

The Galaxy's most powerful Sith Lord dropped by a SoCal community meeting to leave public comment about how Flock could help him catch Luke Skywalker.

Great Job, Internet!: Darth Vader, Galactic Empire support San Diego's Flock cameras

San José has its Batman, who, unlike Gotham’s Caped Crusader, advocates for the rights of the unhoused. Now, San Diego has a Darth Vader doing the opposite. Per 404 Media, the Sith Lord made his San Diegan debut to leave public comment at the Public Safety and Livable Neighborhoods Committee Meeting yesterday, espousing his and the Emperor’s love of the Flock surveillance network. Speaking in his breathy baritone and wearing a chic biker jacket underneath his iconic chest computer, the Jedi formerly known as Anakin Skywalker aligned himself with law enforcement and its efforts to surveil the community members they’re sworn to protect and serve. With Flock, the San Diego Police Department can finally assist the Empire in finding “the rebel scum and their hidden base on Hoth,” not to mention “Luke Skywalker as he traverses the universe in his X-Wing.” 

“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,” Vader said. “Because we all know that the Flock cameras are not only following the license plate readers; they are following children. They are following children in parks and gymnasiums, and we need this. I need this so I can stalk my ex-girlfriend. How will the people trust this city council when this city council continues to vote for surveillance technology that imprisons them?” 

404 notes that there are currently more than 550 Flock cameras installed in the San Diego metro area and that the SDPD has signed a year-long deal with Flock’s Nova service, giving them access to its “open source intelligence.” As Last Week Tonight showed a few weeks ago, Flock’s automated license plate readers, which track the movements of cars without warrant or notification, and other forms of police surveillance amount to “Big Brother on steroids.” 

Flock wasn’t the only thing on Darth Vader’s mind. Per Gizmodo, he also spoke out against libraries and daycare centers. 

 
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