Arrests can’t be made solely based on tips gathered through an anonymous tip line, according to Chambers Law Firm. Depending on the details provided in the tip, police could be justified in stopping and questioning a suspect, but to make an arrest, the tip itself would need to be corroborated by further police investigation or by an eyewitness account of the crime, based on prior court rulings. With an anonymous tip alone, it’s unlikely an arrest warrant would be issued.
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For this reason, known informants are often more useful to authorities as their trustworthiness can be more easily verified, and known informants have established a proven track record of credible and verifiable information per HG.org. As Wallich & Klarich Criminal Defense Attorneys website notes, though, Supreme Court rulings have affirmed that anonymous tips are sometimes sufficient to stop vehicles so long as adequate detail is provided like the vehicle license plate, make, and model. As far as entering someone’s home, though — like the police did at Allen’s residence, the suspect in the Delphi case, prior to his arrest (via CNN) — search warrant standards are higher.
