His hand was still resting on the padlock, but his eyes were darting between Miguel and the crowd of neighbors.

“Officer, please,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “If you let them cut that lock, the telemetry conflict will blow the fuses and cut power to fifty homes.”

The utility worker with the clipboard stepped forward from the city SUV.

“That equipment is an unauthorized connection to the municipal grid,” he said.

“It is fully compliant with the state net-metering laws,” Derek said, his voice rising. “We filed the engineering plans with your office three months ago.”

“We never approved them,” the worker replied.

“You never read them,” Miguel said, taking another step toward the gate.

Two more residents stood beside Miguel, their arms crossed.

The officer looked at the crowd, then back at the padlock, and finally at the utility worker.

“I’m here to keep the peace,” the officer said, taking his hand off the lock. “I’m not here to settle an administrative dispute.”

“Officer, this is a code violation,” the utility worker argued.