The Fellow Officer Rule and the Officer Assistance Statute in Florida: Separate Assessments of Prob

Police officers must have a good reason to arrest someone, called “probable cause.” Sometimes, one officer doesn’t see everything needed for probable cause, so they rely on other officers or citizens to help. In Florida, there are rules that allow for these kinds of arrests, like the “fellow officer” rule and the “officer assistance” statute. These rules help police officers do their job while still following the law. The fellow officer rule allows police officers to rely on information from other officers when making an arrest. This means they can use information from their colleagues, even if they are from different agencies or jurisdictions. The officer assistance statute also allows officers to call on other people to help with an arrest. This could be anyone, not just other officers, as long as the arrest is already in progress. The officer assistance statute allows an officer who has probable cause to arrest someone to request help from other officers or even regular citizens to make the arrest. This applies to all types of offenses, including traffic violations. However, if the arresting officer doesn’t have the authority to make an arrest, then the assistance statute doesn’t apply. It’s important for lawyers on both sides to understand these rules when arguing a case in court. Judge Robert W. Lee has been a judge in Broward County since 1998. He used to work at the law firm of Smith & Hiatt, P.A. in Ft. Lauderdale.

Source: https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-journal/the-fellow-officer-rule-and-the-officer-assistance-statute-in-florida-separate-assessments-of-prob/