Informants and undercover investigations : a practical guide to law, policy, and procedure

Informants are an invaluable, often instrumental aspect of criminal investigations, but they do present certain management issues. In the necessarily clandestine world they inhabit, the imposition of institutional control presents unique challenges. Lack of training and communication among law enforcement professionals tend to ensure the same errors are repeated time and again. Informants and Undercover Investigations: A Practical Guide to Law, Policy, and Procedure is the most comprehensive examination of informant related issues in a single volume. Designed as a sourcebook with clear explanations of applicable laws, department policies, and time-tested procedures, each chapter addresses a distinct topic, allowing reader sto quickly locate a particular subject. Using pertinent Supreme Court, federal, and state cases; statutory law; federal, state, and local law enforcement guidelines; and field-tested training materials; this book provides relevant information to all levels of investigation from basic search warrant cases to complex criminal investigations. The author provides the most current and verified information regarding informant motivation, including mitigated sentencing and monetary compensation; recruiting; documentation; corroboration; electronic surveillance; and the witness security program. He addresses the pitfalls and management challenges of handling an informant and recommends strategies for avoiding them. Extensively researched appendices cover the Attorney General’s guidelines for use of informants, FBI undercover operations, IRS informants, DEA policy for cooperating sources, as well as examples of local policy. Shedding light on the shadowy world of informants and undercover investigations, this book provides law enforcement officials, legal professionals, and criminal justice training institutions a single source reference to understand and streamline the use of this indispensable yet notoriously unpredictable investigative tool.