Reasonable suspicion is necessary for what action by an officer?

Reasonable suspicion is a legal standard used in policing that allows an officer to briefly detain an individual and conduct a limited search for weapons, known as a "stop and frisk." This threshold is lower than probable cause, which is required for an arrest or a search warrant.

When an officer has reasonable suspicion, it must be based on specific and articulable facts that indicate a person may be involved in criminal activity. During a stop and frisk, the officer is allowed to pat down the outer clothing for weapons if they have a reasonable belief that the individual may be armed and dangerous. This practice is aimed at ensuring officer safety while investigating suspicious behavior.

In contrast, actions such as arresting someone without a warrant typically require probable cause, which is a higher standard. Similarly, conducting a thorough search would also necessitate probable cause or the individual’s consent. Interviewing suspects does not inherently require reasonable suspicion but is rather based on the officer's discretion based on the situation. Therefore, the correct association with reasonable suspicion is specifically related to the action of stop and frisk.