Which action is allowed when an officer has merely suspicious grounds but not probable cause?

• A. Detaining the person for 24 hours without cause.
• B. Arresting without probable cause.
• C. Searching the person for weapons without consent.
• D. Performing license plate checks, surveillance, watching for additional facts, and initiating a police-citizen encounter where the person can walk away.

Answer: (D)

When an officer has only suspicious grounds and not probable cause, the allowed path is non-coercive, information-gathering contact that doesn’t constrain the person’s liberty. The action described—running license plate checks, keeping watch, engaging in surveillance, and initiating a police-citizen encounter where the person is free to walk away—fits that approach. These steps let the officer gather more facts and observe behavior without turning the situation into a detention or arrest. License plate checks and passive observation are routine, non-intrusive tools, and a voluntary, non-custodial encounter respects the person’s freedom to leave.

Detaining someone for 24 hours, arresting without probable cause, or searching without consent are all beyond what mere suspicion supports, because they involve restricting liberty or invading privacy without sufficient justification.