If a vehicle is being stopped by a single officer, which 10-code applies?

• A. 10-21
• B. 10-27
• C. 10-26
• D. 10-28

Answer: (C)

The situation describes a traffic stop where the officer is actively holding or detaining the driver or occupant while the stop is conducted. The code used for detaining a subject during a stop communicates that the person is being held in connection with the stop, which is exactly what a solo officer is doing here. This is different from codes that cover exchanging information by phone, requesting the driver’s license, or checking the vehicle’s registration and plate. Those actions are parts of a stop, but they don’t convey the act of detaining the subject, making the detention code the best fit for a single-officer stop.