§ 131.665 Prevention by public officers

Public officers, like police officers, have the legal authority to step in and stop crimes before they happen. This rule points to other specific laws that spell out exactly how and when officers can take action to prevent a crime.

In practice, this means law enforcement isn't limited to just responding after a crime occurs. They can act ahead of time to stop something from happening, as long as they follow the rules laid out in those other referenced laws. Those other sections give the actual details on what officers can and can't do when preventing crimes.