Which U.S. Supreme Court case established that reasonable suspicion is based on the totality of the circumstances?

The concept of reasonable suspicion being determined by the totality of the circumstances is best demonstrated in the case of U.S. v. Sokolow. In this case, the Supreme Court highlighted that reasonable suspicion does not require officers to have a concrete basis for their beliefs but rather can be established through an assessment of the specific and unique circumstances surrounding the situation.

In the context of Sokolow, the Court upheld the idea that police may draw inferences and make deductions from the cumulative information they possess. This case supported the notion that lower thresholds of proof apply to investigations and stops compared to arrests, allowing officers to act on a reasonable suspicion derived from an overall assessment rather than isolated facts.

Understanding the totality of the circumstances is crucial for law enforcement as it allows flexibility in decision-making while still adhering to constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. This case has significant implications for how officers assess potential criminal activity and interact with individuals in the field.