There is ongoing controversy over the use of a known felon as an informant by Detroit police There is little reason to doubt Chief Craig when he says he did not know about the person’s prior parole violations. In this case there was a tragic ending. While the wider issue is that of a judge releasing the person in this article we will discuss the use of such a person as an informant.

Generally speaking the day to day management of confidential informants will be well below the radar of a Chief of Police. However, there are times when the Chief needs to be the one making a decision as to whether or not it is acceptable to manage an particular person as a confidential informant (Covert Human Intelligence Source, CHIS, Human Source.)

If a person who is being considered as an informant and has an extensive history of criminality or ongoing involvement in criminality then the Chief ( or in bigger agencies their designated deputy) should be signing of on it. This follows basic risk management principles: The level of potential harm can only be accepted by the person who will be held accountable for it.

If an agency has an effective confidential management system and the officers are properly trained in risk management then risks, such as multiple parole violations, will automatically be escalated up the chain of command to the Chief for them to sign off or to knock back. The Chief is answerable for everything that goes on in the agency and legally liable. The risks are identifiable and need managed.

If you are a Chief of Police reading this and your officers are not trained in risk management and you don’t have the structures needed, you can be certain you are currently running these risks. Things will be hidden from you deliberately or because officers don’t know any better. We can help protect you, your agency, your officers and the public.

Our book Invest now or pay later - the management of risk in covert law enforcement sets out the structures needed to manage risk effectively. It is available directly from us or at Amazon.co.uk

If you want your officers trained in managing risk in relation to informants and other covert activities we have a two day course contact us for details: info@hsmtraining.com