Introduction
The goal of ICJE in writing this Guide is to provide law enforcement departments with an awareness of the necessity of having a written informant/ source policy and to offer specific steps toward the implementation of that policy. While our main goal is to give departments the tools to write their own policies, ICJE is available on a consulting basis to review existing policies or to write policies for any department which so desires.
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ICJE articles have been prepared for educational and information purposes only. They are not intended to be published as legal advice or legal opinion about any specific subject matter. Transmission of this ICJE information is not intended to create, and receipt does not constitute, a lawyer-client relationship between the author(s), ICJE and the reader. The opinions expressed in the articles found herein are those of the author(s), and not necessarily those of ICJE. Officers and departments should review any proposed change in policy or procedure with the appropriate professional authority or advisor prior to implementation.
Informant Program Management
Informant Program Development and Management
A Guide to Setting Up and Administering an Informant Program
Published June, 2005, by ICJE, Inc.
Copyright 2005, 69 pp.
ISBN 0-9704088-0-3
Price $25.00
To purchase and receive the E-Book immediately, Click Here
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Features
Reviews the Types and characterizations of informants and benefits/liabilities
of each.
 Criminal Informants.Good Citizen Informants.Confidential Sources.How to Recruit and Train Informants.
Methods of recruitment for various types of informants.Methods of training for various types of informants.The potential for illegal conduct by the informant.Periodic informant performance evaluations.Best Techniques for Interviewing and Debriefing Informants.
Monitoring informant activity.Making assumptions about the information.Necessity for accurate reporting and record keeping.Preparing the Informant for Testimony.
Briefing prosecutors about informant's criminal records.Payment briefings prior to testifying.Technical considerations involving wires, recordings, etc.Testimony review.Preparing Control File Systems, including Administrative, Documentation and
Operational Files.
Importance of setting up the systems.Legal ramifications of secure systems.The need for all three types of file systems.Discussion and examples of each, with sample forms for opening, reporting, paying and closing informants.Interagency Informant Sharing.
Insuring confidentiality.Determining whether to share information and/or identity.Preventing a “hostile takeover” of the informant by another agency.Compensating Informants.
Need for record keeping.Sample receipt forms.Maintaining anonymity in the receipt systems.Necessity for witnesses.Using Informant Information in Affidavits.
Tests for informant credibility and reliability.Using split informant information in a single affidavit.Sample affidavits for a variety of situations.Liability Aspects for the Handling Officer and Department.
Civil and criminal liability for the handling officer.Civil and criminal liability for the supervisor.Civil and criminal liability for the department and department head.Implementing departmental policy re informants.
Appendix with all forms in reproducible format.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Definitions, Types and Characterizations of Informants
2. Recruiting and Handling Informants.
3. Interviewing and Debriefing Informants.
4. Compensating Informants.
5. Informant File Systems.
6. Legal Issues.
7. Use of Polygraphs.
8. Informant Sharing.
9. SOP - Writing the Policy.
10. Appendix (Reproducible Forms).