A man dressed as Darth Vader made an unexpected appearance at a San Diego City Council meeting on August 24, 2026, to voice support for the city's Flock Safety automated license plate reader cameras. The speaker, whose name was not reported, said, "This is what the emperor needs," according to local news coverage.
The meeting was held to discuss the future of the Flock camera program, which has drawn both praise from law enforcement and criticism from privacy advocates. The cameras, installed at various intersections across the city, capture license plate data and are used to investigate crimes.
The Darth Vader impersonator argued that the cameras help keep the city safe, comparing the surveillance system to the fictional Galactic Empire's monitoring. His remarks drew mixed reactions from the audience, with some laughing and others expressing concern about privacy.
City officials have not yet announced a final decision on the program's continuation. The council is expected to revisit the issue in a future session.
