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Law enforcement agencies use informants to gather information about illegal activities. Informants can be placed or recruited within criminal organizations or communities. They receive immunity from prosecution and may receive clemency for prior offenses. Undercover officers can also act as informants. The use of informants is controversial, but they can provide valuable information for important investigations. In addition to investigating illegal activities, informants can also gather information about activist organizations, churches, and other groups. Prison informants may provide unreliable information in hopes of receiving credit during parole and sentencing hearings.
An informant is a person who provides useful material about illegal activities to law enforcement and other agencies. Law enforcement officers can place informants or recruit people within a criminal organization or community to become sources, depending on the situation and their needs. In exchange for providing information, this person receives immunity from prosecution for any activity they engage in while working for law enforcement, and may receive clemency for prior offenses as well. Related is the prison informant, a person who talks to law enforcement or other prisoners’ lawyers in hopes of a reduced sentence.
The practice of using informants is ancient and sometimes controversial. Law enforcement agencies rely on inside information sources for important investigations. Often, insiders can allow officers to cast a wider net, catching individuals at the head of a criminal organization, as well as street level operatives. Drug kingpins, for example, rarely make street corners. Prosecuting street dealers won’t solve a drug problem, while finding and jailing the leader of the organization cuts off the hydra’s head, creating chaos and disorganization.
Some informants are undercover law enforcement officers who go into “deep cover” with an organization. They gather information by participating in daily activities and playing a member role. When they have enough material, a law enforcement arrest can occur, with uniformed officers arresting members of the group and allowing the undercover officer to return to normal duty. Other informants are recruits within an organization. Law enforcement agencies, in cooperation with a district attorney, can promise people leniency if they agree to go back to an organization and disclose knowledge of it to the police.
A confidential whistleblower will have a manager who periodically organizes a meeting for debriefing and data collection. These gatherings are kept irregular to avoid attracting attention. Once the investigation is over, the whistleblower may receive retaliation protection in addition to a pardon for criminal activities. In addition to using people to investigate clearly illegal activities such as drug dealing and organized crime, law enforcement can also rely on informants to gather material about activist organizations, churches and other groups that may not necessarily be illegal .
In a prison setting, the prison informant may provide information about individuals with the goal of receiving credit for it during parole and sentencing hearings. These whistleblowers are not very reliable sources, as they have a clear incentive to provide whatever they can, including false material.
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