ABSTRACT
Procedures for documenting new informants can vary dramatically between agencies.1 Some police departments require as little as a criminal background check to determine if the informant has a criminal record or is a fugitive before approving his use.2 The departmentally required documentation may be nothing more than an index card kept in the control agent’s desk. On the other end of the spectrum is the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). It requires an Initial Suitability Report & Recommendation that requires agents to explore at least 17 areas that may disqualify a potential informant.3 The process can take months to accomplish. The complexity of the documenting process can be indicative of how many times the department has been involved in an informant-related law suit or scandal.
