Here is an extract from our forthcoming publication HUMAN SOURCES: MANAGING CONFIDENTIAL INFORMANTS. It will be out in July and details the structures need to manage human sources safely and more effectively In the meantime here is a section on the need to mage sources using dedicated officers in Dedicated Source Units.
Everything advocated in this book is about professionalizing the management of confidential human sources. Sources should be managed by officers in units dedicated exclusively to that role. Here our position is clear. The evidence to support this position is overwhelming. Such measures should not be surprising as specialized units are part and parcel of most law enforcement agencies. We have teams who are dedicated to special weapons and tactics (SWAT teams); we have teams of crime scene investigators (CSI) and we have officers who exclusively perform traffic-related duties. With all these teams there is a recognition that the role requires officers to have a deep level of specialized knowledge and additional training. For some duties, it is recognized that individuals need particular aptitudes to carry out the role and that not everyone is suited. For example, the person who does not have a high level of competence with firearms is not suitable for a tactical team. Similarly, an officer who is not an effective communicator is not suitable to be a hostage negotiator, and we are highly unlikely to place someone with a rigid disposition into an undercover role. Why then do we persist in letting every officer manage human sources? Why do we think that every detective can manage sources safely and effectively?
There is a simple test if we think an officer should be allowed to manage sources. Imagine that it is your loved one who is the source, be it son, daughter, brother, lover, etc. They are passing information on criminal activities in your area. Would you trust their life to every officer in your agency? If your answer is yes, then you don’t care much for your loved one. If your answer is no, it is a pretty safe bet that there are a limited number of officers that you think are competent enough to carry out that role. Why should other citizens not be afforded the same protection?
So before looking at why we need Dedicated Source Units (DSU) to manage all sources, let us explain exactly what we mean by the term. A Dedicated Source Unit comprises several officers whose sole function is the recruitment and management of human sources. Its members are selected and trained for that role. While attached to that role they perform no other investigative function. We will revisit the structure later.
DSUs are needed to ensure that sources are managed safely and effectively and are necessary for several reasons. First, not every officer has the aptitude to manage sources. We need to pick the ones that are good at it and we need to make sure that those who do not have the aptitude to do it, are not allowed to do it. As a guide, and assuming that the officer wants to be involved in managing sources the following indicates the percentages that have or have not, got the aptitude to do this work. About 10% of officers who want to do it, are instinctively good at the role. They are people, people. They communicate well and they have high levels of rapport building. With training, they can be highly effective Handlers. Approximately 50% more, have an aptitude for the role but need the training to bring them up to an acceptable level, where we can say they are competent in the role. The remaining 40% are unsuitable for the role and no amount of training will change that. It is a risk to themselves and others to allow them to do it. They simply do not have the aptitude.
Second, training officers to a sufficiently high standard to carry out the work effectively takes time and resources. Time and resources cost money. No agency has enough of either, to train all officers, well enough to do the role. Training requirements are discussed later. Training a limited number of officers saves a lot of money.
Third, when officers are carrying out a specific role over a period, they become much more proficient at it. Their skills are first developed and then honed. They are more productive, and they make fewer errors.
Fourth, working in small units allows for intrusive oversight of everything that is occurring. Supervisors have only one job to do which enables them to provide the maximum amount of attention to what is occurring. It keeps everyone safe and minimizes the risk of corruption.
Fifth, everything is managed much more securely, reducing the chances of the identity of the source being compromised.
Sixth, it is much easier to set up structures where there is 24/7 coverage for source contact. Each member of the Unit is competent and trained to deal with any issue that arises.
Seventh, once officers have developed a good understanding of managing human sources, they can move onto the proactive recruitment of sources, a topic discussed later. Proactive recruitment greatly enhances an agency’s ability to combat organized crime and terrorism.
