What is required before conducting a frisk search?

A frisk search is a limited search conducted to ensure the safety of the officer and others by checking for weapons or items that could be used as weapons. The requirement of reasonable suspicion before conducting a frisk search arises from legal standards set by court decisions regarding searches and seizures.

Reasonable suspicion is a belief that is based on specific and articulable facts that a person may be involved in criminal activity. Unlike probable cause, which is a higher legal threshold usually required for arrests or obtaining search warrants, reasonable suspicion allows officers to briefly detain an individual for questioning and to conduct a limited pat-down of their outer clothing when they have reason to believe the person may be armed and dangerous.

While consent can facilitate a search without the need for reasonable suspicion, it is not a requirement for a frisk search itself. Similarly, probable cause and a formal warrant are not necessary for this type of limited search, as they are linked to more extensive searches and arrests, which require a stronger justification than the threshold needed for a frisk based on reasonable suspicion.