Preemptive arrest

Preemptive arrest is when police officers arrest someone because they think that person might do something bad in the future. It's like when your mom tells you not to touch the hot stove because you'll get burnt. She's preventing you from getting hurt in the future. Police do the same thing with people they think might hurt others or cause trouble.

Sometimes, if police have evidence that someone is planning to do something bad, they can arrest them before they actually do it. This is called preemptive arrest too. It's like when you're playing with your toys and your mom takes away the toy that might hurt you, even though it is not hurting you right now. The police just don't want anything bad to happen to anyone, so they try to stop it before it even starts.

But, just like your mom might not take away all of your toys because she thinks they might hurt you, police can't arrest everyone they think might do something bad. They have to have a good reason to arrest someone, and they have to follow the law. Just like how your mom doesn't take away your toys without a good reason, police can't arrest someone without a good reason either!