Informants and Public Policy

1
Informants and Public Policy
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Analyzing LE Informant Practices

• Why use informants?
• Who should be informants who should not?
• What are the indicators of successful informant
  practices by law enforcement?
• What practices constitute police misconduct and
  need to be discouraged?

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Informants/Snitches

• Informants People who provide investigators with
  information concerning illegal activities that
  threaten their communities and families
• Snitches People who betray acquaintances to (1)
  avoid/reduce charges (2) make money (3) seek
  revenge

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Informant Discussion

• Alternative Undercover work
• Up the ladder/Down the ladder
• Scrutinizing Informant Credibility
• Prosecution Incentives (Rates vs. Quality)
• Corroborating Evidence (Tangible)
• Charging Family Members as Co-Conspirators
• Using Family Members as Surrogate Agents
• Restoring Judicial Oversight
• Mitigating Mandatory Minimums