Beyond the Traffic Stop: Proactive Policing While Complying with the Fourth Amendment

Traffic stops remain one of the most common and effective tools for proactive policing, yet they present complex legal and constitutional challenges. This session equips legal advisors with practical strategies for balancing proactive traffic enforcement with the constraints imposed by the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. Participants will explore legal frameworks such as “wall” and “whisper” stops, the permissible scope of stop extensions, and a working definition of reasonable suspicion. Through analysis of real-world case studies, the session will demonstrate how officers can lawfully obtain consent, make use of multitasking and downtime, and deploy backup officers to investigate unrelated matters without unlawfully prolonging the stop.