Police Searches on the Street: Stop & Frisk

Police officers have a limited right to stop people on the street and frisk them.

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Law enforcement has a limited right to stop people on the street and frisk them. Learn about how the police can use certain types of evidence as a way to search people out in public.

"Stop and Frisk"

Police must have a reasonable suspicion of criminal behavior before they can stop and frisk someone on the street.

When Police May Stop Someone on the Street
How much evidence of criminal activity must the police have before stopping someone on the street?

The Difference Between a "Search" and a "Frisk"
When does a frisk become a search?

Common Questions

Many questions arise under "stop & frisk."

Can the police constantly stop me because of how I look?
A person's ethnicity, without more, will not support a police stop.

Can the police seize something I threw away?
Picking up what you have thrown away isn't a search.