What must an officer establish to act on a reasonable suspicion?

To act on reasonable suspicion, an officer must establish a belief that criminal activity may be occurring or will occur. This standard is less stringent than probable cause, which requires a higher level of certainty that a crime has been committed. Reasonable suspicion is based on specific and articulable facts or circumstances that lead an officer to believe that a person is involved in criminal activity.

This standard allows officers to take preventative action, such as conducting a stop and frisk, to investigate further when they perceive suspicious behavior or circumstances. It requires a connection to facts rather than just an unparticular intuition or feeling, illustrating the balance between individual rights and law enforcement duties in preventing crime.

In contrast, believing that a crime has definitely occurred does not adequately encompass the lower threshold of reasonable suspicion. A mere hunch lacks the requisite factual basis, and having a known fact about an individual, while potentially useful, does not inherently establish suspicion without context that ties it to possible criminal activity. Thus, the correct understanding relies on the broader context of potential criminal activity, which is encapsulated in the chosen answer.