What is required for a Stop and Frisk procedure?

The requirement for a Stop and Frisk procedure is based on the legal standard of 'Reasonable Suspicion'. This standard allows law enforcement officers to stop an individual and conduct a limited search for weapons if they have specific and articulable reasons to believe that the person may be involved in criminal activity or is armed and dangerous. This is a lower threshold than probable cause, which is necessary for obtaining a search warrant or making an arrest.

Reasonable Suspicion is derived from the totality of the circumstances and can include observations, actions, and the context of the situation. Officers must be able to explain the basis for their suspicion, which helps to ensure that the stop is justified and not arbitrary.

In contrast, probable cause requires a higher level of certainty about the crime and is needed for making arrests or obtaining search warrants. Witness testimony may bolster a case but is not a prerequisite for conducting a Stop and Frisk. Hence, the emphasis on Reasonable Suspicion aligns with the legal framework established by court rulings, particularly in the landmark case of Terry v. Ohio, which set the precedent for the Stop and Frisk practice.