7.1: Overview, Objectives, and Key Terms
Overview
This chapter will focus on the arrest process and procedure. Similar to the search warrant process, officer must follow proper procedures to ensure the arrest is valid. This chapter examines key concepts such as probable cause and reasonable suspicion and the totality of circumstances. These terms and vital to understanding when and how an arrest can take place. It will also explore how officers can gain intelligence to make an arrest. Officers use many sources to gain information before making an arrest to ensure they have probable cause. This chapter examines key concepts on how officers develop probable cause through the information gathering process.
- Be able to define the key concepts of arrest - probable cause and reasonable suspicion.
- Demonstrate an understanding of when probable cause is necessary and when reasonable suspicion is necessary.
- Identify the methods an officer can use to build probable cause such as totality of circumstances, common sense, suspicious activities, unique circumstances, information known to officers, and mistakes of fact/law.
- Demonstrate an understanding of “specific and articulable facts” to support probable cause and reasonable suspicion.
- Identify the rights of an arrestee.
- Identify what constitutes a false arrest.
Key Terms
probable cause, reasonable suspicion, “fair” probability, specific & articulable” facts, totality of circumstances, common sense, “legal but suspicious” activities, multiple incriminating circumstances, unique circumstances, inferences, hunches, mistakes of facts, false arrest.