What is a protective sweep and when is it appropriate?

• A. A detailed room-by-room search of a building after an arrest
• B. A quick, limited search of a residence or area to ensure no one else is present who could pose a threat, typically during or after an arrest or search
• C. A search of vehicles outside the residence
• D. A search of a suspect's social media

Answer: (B)

A protective sweep is a rapid, limited safety check of a residence or area to ensure no one else is present who could pose a threat to officers or others. It’s appropriate when officers have made an arrest in a home or are conducting a lawful search and there is a reasonable safety concern that another person could be inside and hidden, potentially ready to cause harm. The sweep is not a full search for evidence; its scope is narrowly focused on places where a person could be concealed, and it should be conducted quickly and ended as soon as the risk is mitigated.

The other options describe actions that aren’t about immediate safety checks: a detailed room-by-room search goes beyond the safety purpose of a protective sweep, a search of vehicles outside the residence isn’t the same in-home safety check, and a search of a suspect’s social media has no bearing on ensuring physical safety during an arrest or entry.