Informants

Question 1

What is an informant?

Answer 1

a person who assists LE efforts by providing information concerning criminal or unlawful activity that otherwise may not be provided, usually in return for monetary compensation or some other form of consideration.

Question 2

What are the sub-categories of informants?

Answer 2

• Anonymous
• Non-confidential
• Confidential
• Unwitting

Question 3

Types of informants

Answer 3

• Criminal or criminal associate
• professional informant
• informants within industry (store owners)
• Private citizens

Question 4

What is the most valuable type of informant?

Answer 4

Criminal or criminal associate

Question 5

Examples of Sources of information

Answer 5

• Probationers/parolees
• Juveniles
• Military Personnel
• foreign nationals/aliens
• Press/news personnel

Question 6

what is a key to gaining and developing informants?

Answer 6

Proper interviewing techniques

Question 7

what are the two principal concerns that must be considered before a criminal/criminal associate informant will be cooperative

Answer 7

1. confidentiality of their identity

2. specific motivation(monetary payments, consulting with AUSA)

Question 8

Some items to consider when when developing an informants dossier

Answer 8

• mental, emotional and physical status
• criminal/ employment history
• educational history
• political ideology

Question 9

What are informants most often used for?

Answer 9

Providing information to law enforcement officials regarding possible violations of law

Question 10

What are informants typically used for?

Answer 10

• making observations/ surveillance where LEO cannot
• furnish info from source not available to LEO
• Conduct controlled undercover negotiations and purchases
• help establish probable cause
• testify
• gather intelligence

Question 11

What is the best way to document an informants reliability?

Answer 11

by maintaining a proper informant file