What is reasonable suspicion?

• A. A personal hunch.
• B. Specific, articulable facts that would lead a reasonable officer to suspect criminal activity.
• C. Probable cause.
• D. A search warrant.

Answer: (B)

Reasonable suspicion is the standard that justifies a brief investigative stop. It rests on specific, articulable facts—things a reasonable officer can point to and rationally infer—that criminal activity might be afoot. It’s more than a gut feeling, but it’s not as demanding as probable cause, which is needed for arrests or for issuing search warrants.

For example, noticing someone loitering around a closed business door, looking into windows, and then quickly moving away when a patrol passes can be enough to justify a stop because those observable actions, taken together, suggest possible criminal activity. If additional evidence emerges—such as furtive behavior, matching a suspect description, or possession of tools commonly used for burglary—the concern can grow toward probable cause.

By contrast, a personal hunch isn’t based on observable facts that can be articulated, so it wouldn’t support a stop. Probable cause is the higher standard required to arrest or search, and a search warrant is an authorization issued only when probable cause exists.