Short answer
It usually means a camera recorded your plate at a place and time, either triggering an alert or turning up in a search of stored data. On its own it doesn’t show who was driving or that a crime occurred. You don’t have to answer questions, and it’s generally wise to talk with a defense attorney before giving police an explanation.
What the statement usually means
A Flock camera photographs passing vehicles, reads the plate, and stores the read with a time and location. Police may have seen your plate in one of two ways. Either a live hotlist alert fired when your car passed, or an investigator searched stored reads, for example for vehicles near a location around a certain time. See how Flock cameras work.
What it doesn’t establish
- Who was driving. The camera records a vehicle and its plate. See vehicle vs. driver identification.
- That the read was right. Plates can be misread, and a correct read can still match a wrong list entry. See misreads and accuracy.
- Why the car was there. Being near a location is not the same as being involved in what happened there.
Reasonable next steps
This is general information, not legal advice for your situation.
- You can decline to answer questions. In custody, police must tell you before interrogation that you have “the right to remain silent” and the right to a lawyer (Miranda v. Arizona). Explanations given to police can be used as evidence, even when they’re meant to help.
- Talk to a criminal defense attorney. If you can’t afford one and you’re charged, ask the court about appointed counsel.
- Write down what you were told: which camera, what date and time, and whether there was an alert or a search.
- Think about who uses the car. Who owns it, who has keys, and who drove it then. Share this with your attorney, not the police.
- Don’t wait on records. ALPR data can be deleted within days under some retention policies. Ask your attorney about preserving it.
If you’ve already been charged, see charged after a Flock camera hit.
Law varies by state. State constitutions, statutes and courts may treat this issue differently from federal law. A licensed attorney in your jurisdiction can tell you how it applies.
Sources
- VendorFlock Safety, “License Plate Readers (LPR) Cameras” product pageAccessed 2026-11-05
- Government reportCalifornia State Auditor, Automated License Plate Readers: To Better Protect Individuals’ Privacy, Law Enforcement Must Increase Its Safeguards for the Data It CollectsReport 2019-118 · February 2020
- OpinionMiranda v. Arizona384 U.S. 436 (1966)
- SecondaryPolice1, “Flock Safety sets 7-day default for ALPR data, adds mandatory misuse safeguards”August 14, 2026
Related
- Vehicle Identification Is Not Driver IdentificationA Flock camera can record a vehicle and its plate. It generally does not establish who was driving. Here's why that distinction matters in a criminal case.
- Charged After a Flock Camera Hit: What Happens NextWhat happens after a criminal charge that began with a Flock camera hit: the stages of the case, your rights, why ALPR records need early attention, and what to gather.
- How Flock Cameras WorkHow Flock license plate reader cameras capture vehicles, read plates, check hotlists, log searches and delete data, and why each step can matter in a criminal case.