Confidential Informant

He baffled and eluded law enforcement officers for nearly two decades. In the end, however, it wasn't the painstaking forensic analysis of hundreds of pieces of crime scene evidence that led to the capture of the Unabomber-but the lucky tip of an informant. Truth of the matter is, for all their sophistication and hi-tech science, crime-fighting techniques such as fingerprint and DNA analysis are a factor in less than one percent of all criminal cases. In the overwhelming number of crimes, informants have provided the necessary ammunition needed to bring criminals to justice, from Genovese to Gotti and Capone to Dillinger. Confidential Informant: Understanding Law Enforcement's Most Valuable Tool explores the covert and clandestine world of informants-revealing the secrets of how to find them and make the most out of them, while at the same time, avoiding the pitfalls of dealing with them. Using case studies in which informants played key roles in solving crimes, the book examines all aspects of informant development and management, from the motivation of the informant to the legal problems that accompany the use of informants in criminal cases. Written by John Madinger, a former narcotics agent, supervisor and administrator, and currently a Senior Special Agent with the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service, Confidential Informant: Understanding Law Enforcement's Most Valuable Tool examines the emotional and behavioral characteristics of the informant, as well as the psychology of trust and betrayal. The book also illustrates techniques for improving interviewing and communication skills when dealing with informants, and provides invaluable forms that can be used in connection with these vital sources of information.

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 error

The use of informants has been described as the "black hole of law enforcement." Failures in the training of police officers and federal agents in the recruitment and operation of informants has undermined costly long-term investigations, destroyed the careers of prosecutors and law enforcement officers, and caused death and serious injuries to innocent citizens and police. In many cases, the events leading to disaster could have been avoided had the law enforcement agency followed the time-tested procedures examined in this book. Informants, Cooperating Witnesses, and Undercover Investigations: A Practical Guide to Law, Policy, and Procedure, Second Edition covers every aspect of the informant and cooperating witness dynamic—a technique often shrouded in secrecy and widely misunderstood. Quoted routinely in countless newspaper and magazine articles, the first edition of this book was the go-to guide for practical, effective guidance on this controversial yet powerful investigative tool. Extensively updated, topics in this second edition include: Sweeping changes in the FBI and ICE informant and undercover programs New informant recruiting techniques Reverse sting operations Entrapment issues Examination of recent high-profile cases where the misuse of informants resulted in lawsuits and legislation The changing nature of compensation and cooperation agreements Forfeiture, informants, and rewards The management of controlled undercover purchases of evidence Challenges posed by fabricated information, phantom informants and police corruption Witness security measures New whistleblower reward programs Authoritative, scholarly, and based on boots-on-the-ground experience, this book is written by an author who has been a police supervisor, an informant recruiter and handler, an undercover agent, and an attorney. Supported by statutes, case law, and previously unpublished excerpts from law enforcement agency manuals, it is essential reading for every police officer, police manager, prosecutor, police academy trainer, criminal justice professor, and defense attorney. This book is part of the Practical Aspects of Criminal and Forensic Investigations series.

Human sources, also known as confidential informants, are an essential law enforcement resource in the fight against crime and terrorism. How they are managed has changed little over the years. This book provides law enforcement with details of how to manage human sources, in line with the goals of intelligence-led policing, and in a way that maximizes the amount of information obtained. The book is based on over 35 years of real-world experience and uses research gained from interviews carried out internationally, with hundreds of law enforcement officers. It delivers the structures necessary to ensure ethical behavior and to minimize the risk of corruption. It includes details of new methods that apply psychology, to gain a much greater amount of more accurate information, in interviews with human sources. Written by an internationally recognized expert, it is essential reading for anyone interested in how informants should be managed.

Michael Palmiottos Criminal Investigation is often described as one of the most realistic and accessible texts in the study of Criminal Justice. In this Third Edition-- which has been substantially updated from previous editions-- Palmiotto provides greater coverage of case screening, more sources of information, and in-depth analyses of special investigations.