NCJ Number
138264
Journal
Policing and Society Volume: 2 Issue: 3 Dated: (1992) Pages: 151-172
Date Published
1992
Length
22 pages
Annotation
Covert means have recently become more important as criminal justice tools with the increased use in the United States of undercover operations to ferret out corruption among police, prison officers, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges.
Abstract
In the United States undercover work has been expanding in scale and appearing in new forms; new users have adopted covert tactics and employed them against new targets and new offenses. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is the agency that has undergone the greatest change in its application of undercover operations. Other Federal agencies whose primary function is not law enforcement, State and local investigative bodies, and nongovernmental organizations have all made increased use of covert tactics. While government does apply a fair measure of internal control, because of the potential incentives and fears of society's "guards," police need tactics including informants, infiltration, and wiretaps to enforce anticorruption laws. However, the direct and indirect consequences of using covert means in corruption cases should be carefully evaluated. 14 notes and 24 references