What are "high-risk stops" in law enforcement?

High-risk stops are defined as traffic stops conducted in situations where the involved individuals may pose a significant threat to law enforcement officers. This includes circumstances such as stops involving suspects known to have weapons, a violent past, or when a vehicle is suspected of being involved in a serious crime.

In these situations, law enforcement is trained to employ specific defensive tactical protocols to ensure the safety of both the officers and the public. This often involves heightened awareness, strategic positioning, and coordinated communication among officers to control the scene effectively and minimize the potential for violence.

The other choices do not encapsulate the critical nature of these stops. For example, random checks do not necessarily indicate a threat level, while stops requiring a maximum number of officers may not specifically relate to high-risk factors. Non-traffic criminal engagements, while potentially dangerous, do not fall under the specific definition of high-risk stops in the context of traffic encounters.