Here is a story of officers convicted in Chicago of corruption linked to confidential informants. In essence the officers made up informants so they could get warrants to carry out searches where they could steal property. What a great scam and one that should never had had a chance of getting off the ground if the Police Department had proper systems in place to manage informants and the information obtained from informants. If proper management structures are not in place, the agency is very vulnerable to corruption.
Only in undercover policing are officers more vulnerable to corruption than in the management of confidential informants (CHIS, Human sources, HUMINT). If an agency allows officers ongoing clandestine contact with criminals there needs to be in place measures to prevent corruption. These include:
Comprehensive procedures for the management of informants and the information coming from them.
Proper training of all officers involved in the management of informants
Comprehensive IT records of all activities relating to informants.
Once an agency has these then it comes down to intrusive supervision and ongoing audit.
This particular case has so far led to 37 cases being dismissed. It mirrors recent similar incidents in Houston and Philadelphia. This raises the question: “What has to happen before Police Chiefs learn the lessons.”
‘At HSM Training and Consultancy we are here to help law enforcement. Don’t assume you have the knowledge within your agency to fix these problems. If that knowledge already existed the risks would have already been identified and managed and you would not now be picking up the pieces.
Chief: If you want help all you have to do is ask: info@hsmtraining.com A couple of weeks later you will have a full independent review sitting on your desk.
