Here is a story involving Pinellas County Sheriffs Office It is so bad I don’t quite no what to say.The story speaks for itself. One does have to ask who authorised this activity and who in the agency thought it was a good idea?
The sheriff Bob Gualtieri needs to take a hard look the structures for informant management beginning with the question as to what evidence was there that this person was suitable to be an informant?
Of more serious concern is the fact that by charging her they ahve outed her as a confidential informant and compromised her safety. This would make for a very interesting lawsuit she find a lawyer willing to take it on.
She may have stolen sixty dollars but how much could she win now the sheriffs office have compromised her safety..
If I was a lawyer where I would start with is the policy and procedures that the sheriff has in place, the training the officers involved have ( which given Rachels law is a mandatory requirement) and the risk assessment that was done regarding the informant. I would be particularly concerned about whether she was mentally capable of being a source and if her erratic behaviour was predictable. ( i’m guessing it was)
And if I was the officer involved I would keep my head low for the next time because the ridicule is likely to come hard and fast.
On a serious note Sherriff Gualtieri sort your informant management before you have a Rachel Hoffman like tragedy on your doorstep.