His latest arrest comes days after Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen announced that his office was ending its contracts with Flock Safety amid concerns over data privacy and how information collected by the company could be accessed and handled.
A New Mexico man was arrested after allegedly taking down Flock Safety surveillance cameras, loading the equipment into his pickup truck and driving directly to the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office headquarters, where he said he was returning the cameras. Martinez has publicly criticised the cameras, which use automated licence-plate recognition technology to record vehicle movements, and has said he considers them a threat to public safety and privacy.
Jevon Martinez of Rio Rancho has previously faced felony charges after authorities accused him of removing and damaging Flock cameras in the city.
In May 2026, police investigated multiple damaged Flock cameras and missing equipment. The sheriff recently announced that the BCSO would terminate its three contracts with Flock Safety, citing concerns over privacy and the protection of data collected through the system.
Martinez had been removing cameras in Bernalillo County and documenting his actions on Facebook Live, according to reports on the incident. Martinez has maintained that he was not simply stealing the equipment and said he intended to return the cameras to law enforcement. Authorities said at least three cameras had been damaged or destroyed and that solar panels connected to the equipment had also been removed. Flags were reportedly placed on some of the camera poles, including one carrying a message referring to the “Republic of New Mexico”. Investigators later connected Martinez to the incidents and said they found flags in his vehicle resembling those placed at the camera locations. Police also said Martinez had recorded videos connected to the incidents on his phone.
Martinez was arrested in Albuquerque after authorities encountered him with Flock cameras and related equipment in the bed of his pickup truck. He then drove to the sheriff’s headquarters with the equipment, where deputies and detectives contacted him before taking him into custody. The circumstances surrounding the latest incident remain under investigation, meaning claims about exactly what happened to each camera should be attributed to investigators or Martinez rather than presented as established facts. The latest incident occurred against the backdrop of a major policy decision by Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen. The contracts covered automatic licence-plate reader cameras, speed cameras connected to the Flock network and gunshot-detection technology. The decision does not mean the sheriff’s office has rejected surveillance technology altogether. Allen has indicated that he still sees value in such tools but wants stronger safeguards around how information is collected, accessed and shared. Flock Safety’s cameras are designed to automatically capture images of passing vehicles and identify licence plates. The system can also record other characteristics of a vehicle, allowing investigators to search for vehicles based on information beyond the plate number itself. Supporters say the technology can help police investigate crimes, locate stolen vehicles and identify vehicles associated with suspects.
The latest arrest follows an earlier confrontation between Martinez and Flock equipment in Rio Rancho.
Because of the amount of information the technology can collect about people’s movements, his position has been that removing the equipment is justified.
During a court-related appearance, he was asked whether he intended to continue removing Flock cameras and reportedly answered, “Absolutely”. The dispute continued into the summer, when Martinez spoke publicly about his opposition to the surveillance system. He described the cameras as a threat to public safety and privacy. Authorities, however, have treated the physical removal and alleged damage of the equipment as criminal matters.
Earlier case resulted in multiple felony charges
Authorities estimated the damage at more than $20,000. The allegations from that case have not established guilt by themselves, and the charges should therefore be described as accusations unless and until resolved by a court. Martinez was later released while awaiting proceedings, with conditions imposed on him.
The Rio Rancho investigation led to nine felony charges, according to local reporting. Martinez was accused of three counts of larceny, three counts of criminal damage to property and three counts of tampering with evidence.