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New Mexico Man Arrested After Filming Himself Removing Flock Cameras
Jevon Martinez, 44, of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, was arrested after recording himself removing Flock Safety license plate reader equipment around Bernalillo County. Authorities say he took 10 camera systems worth about $16,500, though only two belonged to the sheriff's office. He faces larceny and interference with communications charges.
A New Mexico man who recorded himself removing Flock Safety license plate reader equipment around Bernalillo County has been arrested and charged, authorities said, in a case that has drawn attention to the growing friction between residents and automated surveillance systems.
Jevon Martinez, 44, of Rio Rancho, was taken into custody after deputies stopped his pickup truck outside the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office headquarters. Video of the arrest shows deputies surrounding the vehicle with guns drawn before placing him in handcuffs. Martinez was unarmed, and the charges against him stem from the alleged removal of the equipment rather than any violent offense.
According to authorities, Martinez removed 10 Flock camera systems with an estimated combined value of $16,500. However, only two of those systems were associated with the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office. The other eight were managed by neighborhood associations, a detail that significantly changes the legal picture. Martinez repeatedly described his actions as returning equipment to the sheriff after the department ended its relationship with Flock Safety, but most of the systems authorities recovered were connected to other organizations.
The timing of the removals followed a decision by Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen to end the department's three contracts with Flock Safety. Allen cited concerns about privacy, data sharing, and his confidence in the company. He has said he still supports automated license plate reader technology and plans to examine other vendors. Martinez apparently viewed the remaining cameras as unfinished business.
In a Sept. 2 social media post, Martinez said the sheriff's office no longer subscribed to Flock and that he was taking down the equipment so he could return it. He insisted he was neither destroying nor stealing the equipment, describing it as property that had been left unattended. His videos carried the same message. «Since BCSO is busy, I know BCSO is busy, everyone who works for BCSO, I know you guys are busy, so I went ahead and helped you out,» Martinez says while driving his pickup. The camera then shows his truck bed filling with Flock equipment.
Martinez did not appear to be trying to keep a low profile. «We got a bunch of these bad boys,» he says while showing off the equipment. At another point, he tells viewers, «Not in my city, not in my state.» He repeatedly calls the Flock cameras «tyranny trees,» a nickname that reflects his view of automated vehicle surveillance. Reports of his livestream show him dismantling one of the systems while continuing to explain his position.
This was not Martinez's first encounter with law enforcement over license plate readers. Rio Rancho police had arrested him months earlier in a separate Sandoval County case involving the alleged removal and damage of three license plate reader systems. He faced nine felony charges in that case.
According to the criminal complaint, Martinez drove past BCSO headquarters three times while the equipment remained in his truck. Deputies eventually stopped him outside the sheriff's office. Court reporting differs slightly on the precise larceny charge. One account of the criminal complaint describes attempted larceny over $2,500, while BCSO reporting lists larceny over $2,500. He also faces an interference with communications charge.
Martinez appeared virtually in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court on Sept. 4. Prosecutors did not file a pretrial detention motion, and Judge Claire McDaniel did not order him held in the Bernalillo County case. That did not mean Martinez walked free. He remained in custody because of the separate Sandoval County case tied to the earlier alleged license plate reader removals. Reports say Sandoval County held him over a violation of his release conditions, and a grand jury has since indicted him in that case.
The cases remain unresolved, and the charges are allegations unless and until proven in court. The episode highlights how quickly a dispute over surveillance technology can escalate into a criminal matter once someone begins removing hardware they do not own. It also underscores the broader debate over automated license plate readers, which have been adopted by law enforcement agencies and neighborhood associations alike but have drawn objections from privacy advocates and residents concerned about data collection.
