The program of criminal undercover agents sources in the drug trade

Information and intelligence have always been, and will remain the most essential components of policing, and indeed all law enforcement and security work, including the variety of drug control efforts. Sources of information are many and varied, ranging from everyday interactions of officers of the law with the public, anonymous reports, the use of paid and unpaid informants from the criminal underworld, to the law enforcement and security services' use of agents. This presentation, based on interviews with "handlers" of informants who are offenders and who supply information and evidence against other criminals, who may have been his former "comrades" explores: the dilemmas that the informer, and the handler face at each stage of the "operation" from recruitment to operation in the field, until the agent "fingers" the targets, and becomes a State witness. During each stage of the operation the "agents" motivations, fears, sense of betrayal (being betrayed and betraying others), being a "snitch", the need to protect identity as well as dependency upon the "handler" are the primary issues to be considered and resolved. The "handler" may have to tolerate the agent's commission of crimes during the operation and often may also have to "treat" the informant's spouse. Borrowed identity, which is the main meaning and dynamic of the informant's actions, and of any undercover work, will also be analyzed.