At HSMTraining we are always looking for new information about human sources, HUMINT Confidential Informants, covert human intelligence sources CHIS. Of particular interest is always anything that comes from academia. Here is a paper describing some new research others may find of interest
A tragic story form Indiana - Lessons to be learned
Here is a story from Indiana about the murder of two people who allegedly were confidential informants. While the criminal investigation is ongoing, there needs to be another investigation to identify how these two people were outed as informants, if indeed they were. If lessons are to be learned this investigation needs to be carried out by persons suitably trained and experienced from outside the law enforcement agency where the people were registered as informants
Confidential informant Management - National Problems USA
Each day I get google alerts relating to confidential informants, HUMINT Covert Human Intelligence Sources etc. Basically anything to do with Human Sources on the web I try to pick up on and see what is going on . Then I share it here in the hope that we are all wiser from others mistakes. Unfortunately there are just not enough hours in the day and these alerts tend to pile up in my in box.
When is undercover policing not undercover policing
Here is a tragic case in which an officer lost his life in Toronto, Canada
I dont want to go into the specifics of the case as they already have been before a court. However the case raises important questions for policing as a whole namely What is undercover policing?
Unfortunately, many police officers think that just because they are wearing jeans and a t-shirt that they are working undercover. There is real confusion about what is and what is not undercover police work. Unless things are clear and the risks managed accordingly then tragedy is a real posibility.
Tne consequences of poor confidential informant management
Here is a report relating to a huge number of cases that may be overturned in Georgia as a result of a corrupt relations hip with a confidential informant.
About 450 cases are now being questioned. Think about it it. Either way you look at it it is bad. 450 innocent people in jail or 450 guilty people potentially walk. What is more likely is that it is a combination of the two.
And the damage to the criminal justice system in the State does not ear thinking about.
Why because people do not know how to build a system to manage confidential informants ethically and effectively. And until police departments have such a system then these types of cases will keep on appearing.
Is your department next up?
Confidential Informant Training - From us, what you need is what you get.
I was asked yesterday has to what makes confidential informant (Human Source) training provided by HSM Training different from other providers. I wasn’t quite sure where to start. Then it dawned on me that it doesn’t actually start with us, it starts with the customer and what they need. And what they need is not always what they want.
Informant sues for $ 10 million
Many law enforcement agencies are quite happy to sign up confidential informants with no real consideration given to the risks they are running.
Here is a case from Alabama where a Sheriffs department is being sued for $10 million
Drug informant shot 15 times sues Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
It will be interesting to see how this pans out and how much if anything is paid out.
Human source/ agent Confidential Informant Case law Canada
Informants making things up and police going along -Raleigh, North Carolina
Making up informants
Informant problems New Bedford, MA
We have talked a lot about this before but the problems continue. It was recently suggested to me by a student that this doesn’t happen anymore. Unfortunately it does because police departments and sheriffs officers continue to believe any officer should be allowed to manage informants and to compound the problem they fail to put in adequate structures to manage the risks.
Poor informant management - on so many levels
Here is an article about confidential informant management in Orange County, California. There have been problems here for a number of years and the fallout continues.
There is so much wrong here with regard to the evidence the officer provides I am not quite sure where to start. However, assuming the officer is being honest it indicates a system that was totally dysfunctional.
