The act of taking an individual into custody in order to charge them with a crime is called

• A. Detention
• B. Interrogation
• C. Arrest
• D. Custody

Answer: (C)

Arrest is the act of taking a person into custody with the purpose of charging them with a crime. This step shows formal authority at work and begins the criminal process, typically based on probable cause or the presence of an arrest warrant. When someone is arrested, they’re placed under police control and become subject to the rights and procedures that apply during charging and subsequent prosecutorial steps.

Detention refers to holding someone temporarily for investigation or safety concerns and doesn't necessarily involve charging someone with a crime. Interrogation is the questioning that can occur during custody or after arrest; it’s about gathering information, not the act of taking someone into custody. Custody describes the state of being under police control after an arrest or during a detention, rather than the action of initiating it.

So, the act of taking an individual into custody in order to charge them with a crime is arrest.