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.

Going through them this morning I noticed the number of different police departments across the USA that are having problems in managing informants safely and ethically. Accepting that there are a lot of police departments in the USA I still find it concerning the number of similar issues that cause problems yet are relatively easily fixed given a bit of knowledge and some investment in structures and training. It makes me question as to where and how officers are learning to handle informants and how a Chief knows if their department has good structures for informant management.

Here are a few of the issues from my mailbox:

Louisville - sexual assault on informants. - cost 1.3 million

Louisiana informant raped in drug sting leads to lawsuit

Arkansas cases dismissed after officer’s inappropriate relationships with informants.

Cincinnati homicide case dismissed

I could go on but where would be the point. If you don’t get it by now that informant management is high risk you probably won’t. I bet all these Chiefs thought bad studff would not happen to their agency.