Darth Vader pitches Flock cameras at San Diego meeting amid privacy backlash

A Darth Vader impersonator used a San Diego public safety committee meeting to advocate for Flock Safety's automated license-plate readers, framing them as security tools while highlighting privacy concerns; the city has renewed its use of Flock despite backlash, as about 100 municipalities have ended contracts with Flock, and incidents ranging from a false carjacking link to camera vandalism have fueled debate. In response, Flock rolled out new accountability measures, including an audit feature to curb misuse by year-end, though experts say more oversight is still needed.