4/16/2014

Developing Gang Informants - Gangs - POLICE Magazine

FREE e-Newsletter
Important News - Hot Topics
Get them Now!

Sign Up

Mem bers Login | Not A Mem ber?

Free Product Info | Magazine Subscription | Advertise With Us

HOME
Blogs

VIDEO
News

GANGS
Products

SWAT

WEAPONS

Photo Galleries

Jobs

CAREERS & TRAINING

Archives

Podcasts

PATROL
Cop Slang

TECHNOLOGY
Police How-To

VEHICLES
Shots Fired

WOMEN IN LE
Training Calendar

DIRECTORY
Bookstore

Developing Gang Informants

Reliable informants can provide invaluable inside information.
Like

Tw eet

Share

June 28, 2007 | by Richard Valdemar - Also by this author

Not everyone is graced with the skills necessary to identify and develop gang informants. It's like the
ability to strike up a conversation with a stranger of the opposite sex when dating; some people just
have that flirtatious flair, and some don't. But regardless of your skill, since you can't be everywhere all
the time, you will have to rely on informants to work gangs. And there are some tricks you can use.
By the Book
Every department has policies and procedures in place for handling gang informants, so first thing, go
check your department's manual. Then go find a Narcotics or Vice officer who has actually had to work
under your department's procedures to find out in the real world how it works.

AUTHORS
Richard Valdemar
Sgt. Richard Valdemar
retired from the Los
Angeles County
Sheriffs Department
after spending most
of his 33 years on the job combating gangs.

Many of these policies seem to me to have been written by people who never worked informants.
They are very clinical, unreasonably restrictive, and often mimic the informant procedures of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation. This is laughable because the FBI has a less than stellar history in
gang informant management. This is why their procedures are so restrictive.
One of the incidents I remember in Los Angeles involved a "cooperative witness" who was brought by
the FBI from the East Coast to testify against some of his good fellow organized crime gang members.
The witness (informant) was being housed between court appearances at a local motel. The agents
became fairly friendly with the former wise guy and allowed him to invite a lady friend over for a
private party. The agents took turns in an adjacent motel room watching the witness' room. Suddenly,
the agents' room began to pitch and sway violently in one of Los Angeles' larger earthquakes. The
electric power and telephone systems went down, and the agents rushed home to check on the
welfare of their own families. By the time the agents returned, the local police had responded to a
drunken domestic disturbance call at the informant's motel room and arrested him for the battery of
his girlfriend.
The Informant
He is a "Rat," "Snitch," or "Snizzle" in the gang world. A "Friendly," "Protected Witness," "Confidential
Witness" (CW), "Confidential Informant" (CI), "Source," or "Undercover" (UC) to law enforcement.
Some agencies consider any jail house informant as unreliable, some dislike paid informants, and many
treat any informant with disdain. Yet the success of any gang unit can be attributed largely to its
ability to develop and maintain numerous credible informants.

ARCHIVES
December 2013 (1)
October 2013 (2)
September 2013 (2)
August 2013 (3)
July 2013 (2)
June 2013 (2)
May 2013 (2)

In my 20 years working the L.A. Sheriff's Department Major Crimes Bureau, I built a stable of long-time
credible informants. Under the new policies (like the FBI's), instituted a few years before my retirement
in 2004, the whole team's informants were closed out and the team's effectiveness became virtually
zero.

April 2013 (3)

The very nature of the criminal subculture indoctrinates each neophyte gang member not to cooperate
with the cops. "Thou Shalt Not Snitch" is the first commandment of the gang culture. The drug
traffickers and gang members have actually established Websites like "Who's a Snitch" and "Stop

December 2012 (2)

http://www.policemag.com/blog/gangs/story/2007/06/developing-gang-informants.aspx

March 2013 (2)

February 2013 (2)
January 2013 (2)
November 2012 (3)
October 2012 (2)

1/4

4/16/2014

Developing Gang Informants - Gangs - POLICE Magazine

Snitching" to publicly identify informants and it is an unwritten gang rule to kill informants. So, why do
they become informers?
Cultivating Relationships
Every person you meet is a potential informant. Most citizens can tell you about some kind of criminal
activity they are aware of in a general way. They might mention in passing that they have been
noticing drug or gang activity at a local park or neighborhood. Children and juveniles are often very
aware of gang activity in schools and playgrounds because they need this information to avoid
becoming victimized. The girlfriends and family members of gang members are sometimes motivated to
give information in an attempt to protect their loved one.
You should establish a rapport with as many of these informal citizen informants as you can. Give them
your business card; tell them to ask for you. Carry cards with anonymous "WE TIP" and "Secret
Witness" numbers, but don't do this where their cooperation can be seen by gang members.

September 2012 (3)

August 2012 (2)
July 2012 (2)
June 2012 (2)
May 2012 (3)
April 2012 (3)
March 2012 (4)
February 2012 (3)
January 2012 (3)
December 2011 (2)
November 2011 (3)
October 2011 (4)
September 2011 (5)
August 2011 (4)

Identify and Assess

July 2011 (4)

June 2011 (4)

Criminal informants have many different motivations for turning against the gang. Burglars may tell you
about the armed robber because the burglar says he only steals to support his drug habit and rarely
hurts anyone, but the robber carries a gun and is violent. The robber will tell you about a murderer,
and almost everyone will give information about a child molester. This criminal moral justification, which
pardons oneself but points out other gang members as morally worse, can be utilized to identify
potential inside sources.

May 2011 (5)

April 2011 (5)
March 2011 (5)
February 2011 (4)
January 2011 (6)
December 2010 (4)

Most of the long-term credible informants I developed came from hardcore gang members, who after
years of believing in the myth of gang brotherhood and idealistic causes, were treated unfairly by their
homeboys. The gang is made up of liars, cheats, thieves, and bullies. They often victimize weaker gang
members, and vengeance is sweet.
After you have identified possible informants, their potential must be assessed. Avoid juvenile
informants, promiscuous young women (if you are male), mental patients, and want-to-be undercover
cops without the benefit of completing the police academy. Narcotics detectives often utilize the "little
fish working off his case to catch a bigger fish" method.

November 2010 (5)

October 2010 (4)
September 2010 (3)
August 2010 (5)
July 2010 (3)
June 2010 (4)
May 2010 (2)
April 2010 (3)
March 2010 (4)

Recruiting
Now comes the hard part: actually recruiting the informant. Some gang members should be
approached with cold facts in a business like manner. There are informant contracts that can be
written and signed by the informant and the handler. Some must be convinced and sweet talked into
cooperation. But be careful of your words.

February 2010 (2)

January 2010 (1)
December 2009 (3)
November 2009 (1)
October 2009 (1)
September 2009 (3)

Never promise what you cannot deliver. Never threaten something you are not able to enforce. Once
you say something, keep your word. This self imposed rule sometimes required me to go into my own
pockets or to come in on my day off to fulfill my commitment. Remember, trusting a cop is just as
difficult for the informant as you trusting a criminal gang informant.
Training
The next step is training the informant. Insist on safety procedures. Everything must be approved by
you before any operation. No unofficial informant-initiated operations allowed. When you finally
dispatch the informant on a mission, make sure you are very clear on what you are asking him to do.
Whenever possible, video or at least audio tape the informant. Start slow; confirm small things to build
his reliability before taking down the big case.
Providing Protection
Don't burn your informants. California Evidence Code 1040 & 1042 can be invoked to protect the
identity of informants, observation points, surveillance locations, and hidden locations for cameras and
audio recording devices. Most states have similar statutes. In some gang cases I have had cases
dropped in order to protect the identity of informants.

August 2009 (2)

July 2009 (2)
June 2009 (3)
May 2009 (4)
April 2009 (2)
March 2009 (2)
February 2009 (3)
January 2009 (2)
December 2008 (4)
November 2008 (2)
October 2008 (3)
September 2008 (3)
August 2008 (2)
July 2008 (4)
June 2008 (3)
May 2008 (3)
April 2008 (3)
March 2008 (4)

Remember, if the informant is identified by testifying, or is identified in the media -- as the informant in
the Biggie Smalls murder case was in the Los Angeles Times -- you must continue to act for his safety.
If he goes to jail he must be placed in protective custody. On the outside he can be placed in the
Witness Protection program or moved out of the area.

February 2008 (4)

Cover Your Bases

October 2007 (1)

January 2008 (3)

December 2007 (2)
November 2007 (4)
September 2007 (4)

Use the information a gang informant gives you only as a start. Corroborate the information with your
own investigation. Try to have more than one source and continually cross-check every informant's
information. Don't tell one informant about the other. Don't tell other cops, who don't need to know,
about the informant. Normally that means just your partner and supervisor should know the
informant's true identity.

http://www.policemag.com/blog/gangs/story/2007/06/developing-gang-informants.aspx

August 2007 (2)

July 2007 (3)
June 2007 (4)
May 2007 (2)

2/4

4/16/2014

Developing Gang Informants - Gangs - POLICE Magazine

The gang informant provides valuable information. Information is intelligence, and intelligence allows
you to work more effectively. Use that charm.

Like

Tw eet

Share

Comments (1)
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1
tmkjusticestudies @ 7/3/2007 12:31 PM

tmk0106@westminstercollege.edu Bachelors in Justice Studies 2007 private college, required thesis to

be completed. I chose to analyze the area graffiti.
Salt Lake City - Salt Lake County area gang graffiti and researcher. I provide free information on gang
activity and graffiti trace evidence to lawenforcement. I began collecting graffiti throughout the county
in May 2006 and continue to do so. I will be publishing a website for those who analyze in in LEO
community. I do not release my information to the news media.
My current thought is to publish this data in a website that only LEO can utilize.
In my area I also have been monitoring the colors, the graffiti, car stickers, clothing trends, and other
identifiers. There has been a sharp increase in CA based gangs, midwest, and southern United States
gangs, as well as OMG groups. Monitoring also for those perceived as major threat groups in
Operation Community Shield.

Join the Discussion

Name *

E-Mail *

Message *

1000 characters left

PO LIC E Magazine doe s not tole rate com m e nts that include profanity, pe rsonal attack s or antisocial be havior
(such as "spam m ing" or "trolling"). This and othe r inappropriate conte nt or m ate rial will be re m ove d. W e
re se rve the right to block any use r who violate s this, including re m oving all conte nt poste d by that use r.

Other Recent Blog Posts

Just What the Hell Are We Protecting?
I do wonder to what extent the federal employees among our ranks ask themselves whether or...
Remarkable Statistics on Officer Response to Active Shooter Incidents
The author reviews the PERF report on police response and results from 84 active shooter...

Yes! Please rush me my FREE

TRIAL ISSUE of POLICE
magazine and FREE Officer
Survival Guide with tips and
tactics to help me safely get out
of 10 different situations.
Just fill in the form to the right
and click the button to receive
your FREE Trial Issue.
If POLICE does not satisfy you,
just write "cancel" on the
invoice and send it back. You'll

It's easy! Just fill in the form below and click the red button to receive
your FREE Trial Issue.
First Name:

Last Name:

Rank:

Agency:

Address:

City:

State:

Zip Code:

-- Select --

http://www.policemag.com/blog/gangs/story/2007/06/developing-gang-informants.aspx

3/4

4/16/2014
pay nothing, and the FREE
issue is yours to keep. If you
enjoy POLICE, pay only $25 for
a full one-year subscription (12
issues in all). Enjoy a savings
of over 60% off the cover price!
Offer valid in US only. Outside U.S.,
click here.

Developing Gang Informants - Gangs - POLICE Magazine

Country:

United States
We respect your privacy. Please let us know if the address provided is your
home, as your RANK / AGENCY w ill not be included on the mailing label.
YES, it is my home address.
E-mail Address:

Topics

Quick Links

Services

Other Related Sites

Gangs

Video

SWAT
Weapons

Blogs
News

Cop Slang

Subscriber Services

Government Fleet

Police How-To
Training Calendar

Advertise
About Us

Automotive Fleet

Careers & Training

Patrol

Products
Online Store
Photo Galleries Bookstore

Contact Us
Privacy Policy

Technology
Vehicles
Women in Law Enforcement

Jobs
Archives
Suppliers

Site Map
Suppliers Directory

Webinars
Podcasts
RSS Feeds

In partnership with:

C O PYR IGHT 2014 PO LIC E Magazine . ALL R IGHTS R ESER VED.

http://www.policemag.com/blog/gangs/story/2007/06/developing-gang-informants.aspx

4/4