Which statement accurately describes anonymous tips?

• A. An anonymous tip describing only characteristics never justifies a stop.
• B. An anonymous tip with sufficient predictive information may form reasonable suspicion.
• C. Anonymous tips always justify a stop.
• D. Anonymous tips are never considered in forming reasonable suspicion.

Answer: (D)

The concept being tested is how anonymous tips contribute to reasonable suspicion. In evaluating stops, officers use the totality of the circumstances. An anonymous tip isn’t automatically enough to justify a stop, but it can contribute if it contains predictive information—details that describe what will happen or identify specific, observable facts (like a precise vehicle description, license plate, location, direction of travel, or imminent activity)—and those details can be independently corroborated by the officer’s observations. When the tip’s content is specific and verifiable and aligns with what the officer later witnesses, it can create reasonable suspicion. Purely descriptive tips that only outline characteristics without anything predictive or corroborable generally don’t justify a stop. Conversely, tips that are vague or contradict what is observed are unlikely to support a stop. So the best statement is that an anonymous tip with sufficient predictive information may form reasonable suspicion, depending on how well it can be corroborated through observation and the overall circumstances.