What is the focus of a Terry stop?

The focus of a Terry stop is to investigate suspicious behavior. This type of stop, established by the Supreme Court case Terry v. Ohio, allows law enforcement officers to briefly detain an individual for questioning based on reasonable suspicion that the person is involved in criminal activity. The key element here is "reasonable suspicion," which requires that the officers have specific and articulable facts that suggest the individual may be engaged in illegal conduct.

This investigative stop is intended to allow police to address potential criminal behavior without needing the higher threshold of probable cause necessary for making an arrest. Hence, the primary goal is to assess whether the suspicion is valid and to ensure safety, especially if there are concerns about potential risk to officers or the public.

In contrast, confirming an arrest is a more formal action taken based on probable cause. Preventing traffic violations is specifically tied to traffic enforcement rather than the broader investigative scope of a Terry stop. Likewise, searching for drugs is not the sole purpose of a Terry stop; while it may arise from the investigation, the focus remains on assessing suspicious behavior overall rather than targeting any specific crime.