While we all may have concerns about stores selling alcohol and other restricted products to underage people law enforcement needs to be careful when it goes about investigating such offences. Here is a story about a police department who labels young people assisting in their investigations as confidential informants.
I am not criticising the motives of the police chief in what they are trying to address I am criticising the labelling of these young people as confidential informants.
I would love to read the departmental policy/procedures on the management of confidential sources and see if this role fits with the definition there. Then I would love to see if they intend to manage these young people in accordance with those directives. Will the agency hold that young persons name on their records as being a confidential informant?
In addition, there is a huge question as to if these people are under the age of 18, then twhole issue oi parental consent arises.
Furthermore, I would be interested to read what measures the agency has in place regarding the risks to these young people during and after the operations. What training have the officers involved had relating to such operations?
In brie, these things sound great, until it goes wrong. They are much harder to explain then.
I could go on but if you want to know more just email.