confidential informant training

The consequences of poor confidential informant management

Here is a story originating in San Francisco about cases being lost as a result of poor informant management

We have discussed similar cases over the years but these types of incident continue. This is not about individual officers. This is about agencies not having sufficient structures in place to minimise the risk of these things happening. Such systems take a bit of time and investment to set up and maintain but no where near the time and effort needed to clear the potential harm done by incidents such as this.

We could go on but where would be the point. If you want help ask us. If you don’t then accept the risk that something similar is occurring in your agency.

The cost of poor confidential informant management - Invest now or Pay later.

Sometimes it is hard to get through to people how costly the mismanagement of confidential informants can be. This story relates to a police department that have paid out over $2.3 million dollars with a third case pending. That is a lot of money for any department to be paying out. And it could have been avoided if the department had invested in the proper structures for managing confidential informants.

Confidential informant corruption

Here is one of those stories where you just thing WTF! Our regular readers will be familiar in regard to our advocacy around the need for police chiefs to build suitable structures to minimise the risk of corruption when managing confidential informants while maximising the benefits from them. This of course assumes that the Chief is not involved in the corruption. A recent story relating to Payne Springs Police Department raises concerns. The allegation is that the Chief and one of her officers were using a confidential informant to buy and sell drugs for their personal benefit.

The moral and emotional world of police informants - Academic research

At HSM training and consultancy we are great believers in research relating to the management of confidential informants (CHIS, Confidential human intelligence sources, human source, HUMINT) . The more we look at the topic the better equipped we all should be. A recent paper The moral and emotional world of police informants was recently published by Bethan Loftus, Matthew Bacon, and Layla Skinns.

Confidential Informant related corruption - USA

Well here is a different take on a an unfortunately all to common tale of allegations of inappropriate sexual relations between a police officer and a confidential informant. Unfortunately, this is not the first time that allegations of serious corruption relating to informants and Philadelphia police department have come to light. This article discusses options to remove the risk of such allegations/and events.

Confidential Informant and Wrongful convictions - Painful to watch

Poorly managed confidential informants can lead to wrongful convictions. Here is our commentary on the KSAT 12 documentary ‘A Necessary Evil’: The Cost of Confidential Informants,” It makes for painful watching for any law enforcement officer. who knows how to manage confidential informants properly. It provides suggestions as to how to make sure law enforcement agencies have adequate training, systems and software solutions to mage informants properly.

Bad Information from a confidential Informant costs $2.9 million.

Many of our readers in the USA will be familiar with the case in Chicago of Anjanette Young, where police executed a warrant on her apartment to search for a gun. Without going into all the details of what was done wrong, it has now cost the City of Chicago $2.9 million in compensation for Ms Young. This was an expensive day out for the Chicago Police Department. We can stop the same thing happening to your agency,

Confidential Informant Management - Drug Enforcement Administration

Sometimes we read a story about poor informant management and we shake our head in disbelief. Here is a story about a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officer gone bad.

Confidential informants and police corruption

Here is a story from New Albany, Indiana about a police officer that went well and truly down the wrong road with a confidential informant, (human source, CHIS). This type of think could have happened in many police departments. The case is far from unique. No doubt everyone is seeking to cast all the blame on the officer. Time would be better spent looking at how this behaviour occurred and how it continued for two years.

Proactive Recruitment of Confidential Informants

An article discussing the proactive recruitment of confidential informants (Human sources, HUMINT) by low and county police departments in the USA.

Confidential Informant Case Law USA

At HSM Consultancy and Training we are always looking for material that helps our customers and the wider law enforcement community have a better understanding of every aspect of managing confidential informants. This article links to a discussion of the Luttenberger Standard and its application to disclosure and confidential informants.

Police Corruption and Informants - Simply no valid excuse.

There is simply no valid excuse in 2021, for officers mishandling confidential informants (HUMINT, confidential human sources, Covert human intelligence sources, CHIS). While there is always a risk that one officer becomes involved in corrupt behavior systems should be in place where such behavior is very difficult to carry out and if it is done it can be readily detected and easily proven.

Undercover operations - Records and accountability and potential corruption

“Cops bought booze, lap dances during undercover strip club probe…” makes for an interesting headline in the New York Post but the whole story raises a lot of questions for the police department involved. More importantly it creates a learning opportunity for other law enforcement agencies when it comes to accountability and record keeping in undercover operations.