How does an arrest differ from an investigative detention?

• A. An arrest seizes a person based on probable cause; an investigative detention is temporary and based on reasonable suspicion, not custody or probable cause for arrest.
• B. An arrest requires consent; detention requires probable cause.
• C. An arrest is only in public places; detention only in private.
• D. An arrest is always longer than a detention.

Answer: (C)

The key idea is the level of justification and the resulting custody. An arrest is a seizure based on probable cause that places a person in custody. An investigative detention is a brief, temporary stop grounded in reasonable suspicion that the person is involved in or about to commit a crime; it does not create the same kind of custody as an arrest and ends when the suspicion is dispelled or the person is released, or the officer develops probable cause to arrest. Location is not the defining factor: arrests can occur in private settings with warrants or exigent circumstances, while investigative detentions typically occur in public places when officers observe suspicious activity.