subject: Essay on Police Informants [print this page] Essay on Police Informants Essay on Police Informants
There is a perception that policing is one of the most dangerous occupations. This is true in the sense that on a daily basis police officers deal with the criminal elements of the society. They chase down violent individuals and arrest them. They go on the road and engage individuals on a high speed pursuit across highways and intersections. They go toe to toe with syndicates who have deep connections in the government. It is indeed a dangerous job.
However, there are other individuals whose job is more difficult than a police officer. These are the police informants. Police informants are individuals who supply and give information to the police officers about something that is relevant to their investigation. Police informants are also individuals who "for monetary or other gain, supplies information on criminal activities to a member of the police" ("Police Informants: A discussion paper: On the nature and the management of the relationship between police and their informants", 1993, p.9).
Police informants help the police in giving information about the activities of gangs, drug traffickers and any other syndicated criminals. Without them, police officers would not be able to penetrate and crush organized crime syndicates such as the drug traffickers, money launderers, terrorists and even gangs.
For example, in a drug bust, police officers cannot simply approach a drug pusher and buy drugs. No drug pusher will ever deal with a person whom he does not know. Police officers often use individuals who have reputation of being drug users in the past as poseur buyers. They enter into agreement with these poseur buyer for dropping of charges against them or for lenient sentences in exchange for their participation in a drug bust.
While police informants extend assistance to the police in the resolution of a case, they are considered the worst kind of human beings by syndicates. Gang members follow a code of brotherhood where they swear to protect each other. For gang members who uphold brotherhood, nobody could be worse that betraying a gang member. It is therefore common for informants to be tortured, injured or even killed by fellow gang members once they are discovered.
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