If a person is arrested but not taken into custody, the police can search for weap ons and prevent the accused from destroying any evidence. Once the accused is taken into custody, the police can conduct a full search of the accused and the immediate area around him or her. At the police station, the accused can be strip searched if he or she is suspected of carrying any illegal substances. A person can be arrested when the police have probable cause. Probable cause is established when there are enough facts to lead a reasonable person to conclude that someone is committing or has committed a crime, or there is a fair probability that evidence of a crime will be found.
Probable cause requires more than a hunch but less than proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
Although individuals can be detained at the police station and not formally arrested for a period of up to forty-eight hours while a warrant is obtained, they cannot be arrested on a mere suspicion. However, a warrant is not required for an arrest when someone commits a crime in an officer s presence or if the officer has probable cause to believe the person committed a crime. When the police receive a report of a crime, they send officers to the scene as soon as possible. If a person is arrested, he or she will be transported to the police station and booked. People under arrest have many rights, including the right not to be physically abused or assaulted by the police during the arrest and the right to be told why the arrest is being made.