Informants

Question 1

Informant

Answer 1

Provides info of investigative nature to LEO that otherwise may not be provided
usually in return for monetary compensation or some other form of consideration

Question 2

Anonymous informant

Answer 2

: person who refuses to identify himself or uses fictitious name - true identity is not known.

Question 3

confidential informant

Answer 3

person who requests their identity be held in strict confidence

Question 4

unwitting informant

Answer 4

a person who does not know that they are providing info to LEO - benefit: informant cannot knowingly compromise an investigation

Question 5

types of people that are informants:

Answer 5

criminal defendant/associate - most valuable but hardest to control
Professional informant: typically on a law enforcement payroll. Business, money to be made by providing info, motivated by salary, reward, financial gain
Problem - may manufacture evidence and info to obtain more money
Informants within regulated industry: access to info that could be predication for a criminal investigation
Only reason informant has access to info is because of their employment
IE: owner of a gun store could be informant for ATF
Private citizen: investigators should consider everyone they come in contact with to be a potential informant

Question 6

motivations of informants:

Answer 6

*It is critical to know your informant’s motivation
Why are they helping - need to know in order to manage the informant
Cannot properly instruct, control, protect or utilize an informant without knowing motivation
Fear
Self preservation
Revenge
mercenary/professional $$$$$
Egotistical - Vanity
Wannabe cop
Reform or repentance
Other motivations: competition, civic mindedness, jealousy, friendship, combination of any of these