What is probable cause for arrest affidavits?

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Probable cause means a reasonable belief, based on the facts and circumstances known to the officer, that a crime has occurred and that the person to be arrested is involved. An arrest affidavit is built on what would lead a person of reasonable caution to believe that the suspect committed the offense. It’s more than a hunch but less than proof beyond a reasonable doubt. So a single rumor or guess isn’t enough, and a preponderance of the evidence used in civil cases isn’t the standard for arrest—probable cause is the appropriate threshold. The information in the affidavit must be based on verifiable facts or reliable observations, evaluated for the totality of the circumstances at the time of the arrest.