R/S
At 2:00 a.m., an officer sees a person repeatedly looking into the windows of closed businesses and trying several door handles.
Is there reasonable suspicion to stop the person?
The behavior suggests the person may be preparing to burglarize a business.
An officer sees a teenager walking down the sidewalk at 10:00 p.m. wearing a black hoodie.
Is there reasonable suspicion to stop them?
Clothing and walking at night alone do not suggest a crime.
Police receive a report that a man in a red jacket just stole a purse. One block away, an officer sees a man in a red jacket running from the area.
Is there reasonable suspicion to stop him?
He matches the description, is nearby, and is running from the area.
An officer watches a driver repeatedly drift across the center line and suddenly correct the vehicle.
Is there reasonable suspicion to stop the driver?
The driving behavior suggests possible impairment, distraction, or a traffic violation.
An officer sees a group of teenagers standing outside a convenience store talking. The officer thinks they look suspicious.
Is there reasonable suspicion to stop them?
A hunch that someone looks suspicious is not enough.
At midnight, an officer sees someone climb over the locked fence of a closed car dealership.
Is there reasonable suspicion to stop the person?
Climbing into a closed business property at midnight suggests possible criminal activity.
A person sees a police car and turns around and walks in the opposite direction.
Is there reasonable suspicion to stop the person?
Avoiding a police officer by itself is generally not enough to justify a stop.
Police receive a report that two people are spray-painting a school wall. An officer arrives and sees two people next to fresh graffiti holding spray-paint cans.
Is there reasonable suspicion to stop them?
The report and what the officer observes connect them to possible vandalism.
An officer sees a person sitting in a parked car outside a grocery store for 30 minutes.
Is there reasonable suspicion to stop the person?
Sitting in a parked car is normally lawful behavior.
A store employee tells an officer that a man put a bottle of alcohol under his jacket and walked out without paying.
Is there reasonable suspicion to stop the man?
The officer has specific information from a witness that a theft may have occurred.
An officer sees a person carrying a large television down the sidewalk during the afternoon.
Is there reasonable suspicion to stop the person?
Carrying a television is legal, and there are no other facts suggesting it was stolen.
Police receive a report of someone breaking into cars in a parking lot. An officer arrives and sees a person crouched beside a car who immediately runs away.
Is there reasonable suspicion to stop the person?
The reported crime, location, behavior, and running away together create reasonable suspicion.
An officer sees a driver leave a bar at midnight and drive away normally.
Is there reasonable suspicion to stop the driver for DUI?
Leaving a bar does not mean the person is impaired.
A homeowner calls police and says there is a stranger walking through the neighborhood whom they do not recognize.
Is there reasonable suspicion to stop the stranger?
Simply being unfamiliar to someone in a neighborhood does not suggest criminal activity.
A homeowner reports that a person is walking from house to house checking front doors to see whether they are unlocked.
Is there reasonable suspicion to stop the person?
Checking multiple doors suggests possible attempted burglary.
An officer sees a student quickly put something into their backpack when the officer walks by.
Is there reasonable suspicion to stop the student?
Putting an unknown object into a backpack does not by itself show criminal activity.
Police receive a report of a hit-and-run involving a white pickup with a broken left headlight and fresh front-end damage. Five minutes later, an officer sees a matching truck two blocks away.
Is there reasonable suspicion to stop the truck?
The vehicle closely matches specific details from a recently reported crime.
An officer sees a car parked behind a closed restaurant at 3:00 a.m.
Is there reasonable suspicion to stop the person inside?
The time and location may seem unusual, but those facts alone are generally not enough.
An officer sees someone behind a closed restaurant at 3:00 a.m. repeatedly pulling on the back door while looking around.
Is there reasonable suspicion to stop the person?
The person's actions, location, and time suggest a possible attempted burglary.
An anonymous caller says that a man named Mike has drugs in his backpack but provides no description, location, or explanation.
Is there reasonable suspicion to stop Mike based only on the tip?
The anonymous tip does not provide enough detail or reliability by itself.
A store employee calls police and reports that a customer threatened someone with a knife. The employee gives a detailed description and says the person is walking toward the parking lot.
Is there reasonable suspicion to stop the person?
The identified witness provided specific and recent information about possible criminal activity.
An officer sees someone running as fast as possible down a sidewalk at 4:00 p.m. There have been no reports of a crime.
Is there reasonable suspicion to stop the person?
Running is legal, and there are no additional facts connecting the person to criminal activity.
An officer hears a store alarm and seconds later sees a person running out of the store carrying a cash register.
Is there reasonable suspicion to stop the person?
The officer has specific facts connecting the person to a possible theft and may actually have enough evidence for probable cause.
An officer sees a person standing next to a parked car looking inside it. The person then walks away.
Is there reasonable suspicion to stop the person?
Looking inside a vehicle and walking away are not enough by themselves to suggest a crime.
An officer sees a person in a parking lot trying door handles on several different parked cars.
Is there reasonable suspicion to stop the person?
Trying the doors of several vehicles suggests the person may be attempting to break into or steal from the cars.