Differentiating an encounter type: consensual contact, detention, and arrest.

• A. Consensual contact requires no suspicion; detention is based on reasonable suspicion; arrest requires probable cause and custody
• B. Consensual contact requires probable cause
• C. Detention is a casual conversation
• D. Arrest is based on consent

Answer: (A)

The key idea is understanding how the level of police-citizen intrusion matches the justification needed for each encounter type. Consensual contact is voluntary and carries no requirement for suspicion—the person is free to leave and the interaction isn’t a seizure. Detention is a form of seizure that must be justified by reasonable suspicion of criminal activity, so the person is not free to leave while the brief investigation occurs. Arrest is the most intrusive type, involving custody and must be supported by probable cause.

The correct statement reflects this progression: consensual contact requires no suspicion; detention is based on reasonable suspicion; arrest requires probable cause and custody. The other options misstate these distinctions—consensual encounters do not require probable cause, detention isn’t just a casual conversation, and arrest isn’t based on consent.