What is the primary purpose of a Terry stop?

The primary purpose of a Terry stop is to detain someone without a warrant based on reasonable suspicion. This legal standard allows law enforcement officers to briefly stop and question a person if they have specific and articulable facts that lead them to suspect that the individual is involved in criminal activity.

The rationale for allowing such stops is rooted in the need for police officers to maintain public safety and conduct effective investigations while balancing the rights of individuals. During a Terry stop, officers can ask for identification and may also conduct a limited pat-down for weapons if they have a reasonable belief that the individual may be armed and dangerous.

This method is crucial for timely intervention in potentially dangerous situations, enabling law enforcement to act against crime without the delay that might come from obtaining a warrant. Other options, such as confirming a suspect's identity or searching belongings, may occur as part of the process but are not the primary purpose of a Terry stop. Enforcing traffic laws, while also a police function, does not relate directly to the concept of a Terry stop, which is specifically tied to the principle of reasonable suspicion in the context of criminal investigations.