What is the scope of a frisk limited to?

The scope of a frisk is primarily focused on checking for weapons for officer safety. This practice, often referred to as a "Terry stop," allows law enforcement officers to conduct a limited pat-down of a person's outer clothing when they have reasonable suspicion that the individual may be armed and dangerous. The primary goal is to protect the officer and others from potential harm.

This means that during a frisk, officers are not authorized to search for drugs, gather evidence unrelated to immediate safety concerns, or engage in broader investigations based solely on suspicious behavior. The scope is intentionally narrow and is grounded in keeping the interaction safe rather than conducting a full search for evidence or contraband. Hence, the answer focusing on officer safety accurately reflects the legal limitations established by court rulings regarding such stops and searches.