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Questioning the Use of Police Informants

By TChris, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Thu May 03, 2007 at 01:19:10 AM EST
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In the wake of a police shooting of an elderly Atlanta woman, some members of Congress are calling attention to a problem that politicians routinely ignore: the use (or dangerous misuse) of information provided by unreliable informants to justify the issuance of search warrants.

A host of influential House members who are black, like [shooting victim] Johnston, said the case highlights widespread misuse of police informants, and they pledged to address the issue in Congress.

"I see the shooting and killing of Ms. Johnston as one piece of a larger puzzle," said Rep. John Lewis, a Georgia Democrat. "We must utilize every means at our disposal ... to ensure that this kind of injustice never, ever happens again."

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    Questioning the Use of Police Informants | 3 comments (3 topical)

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    LA Police bullets - Amateur Video (none / 0) (#1)
    by convict on Thu May 03, 2007 at 03:13:31 AM EST
    Ten (10) minutes long, gives a new slant on the 'Land of the Free. What is really going on? Who is 'running' this?

    http://one.revver.com/watch/254524

    The House members.... (none / 0) (#2)
    by kdog on Thu May 03, 2007 at 06:39:10 AM EST
    better address the larger problem of drug prohibition, or get used to their constituents being gunned down, by the law and the black marketeers alike.

    Just addressing the misuse of informants is like a doctor just addressing pnuemonia while ignoring the AIDS causing the pnuemonia.

    Informants need rights and protection (none / 0) (#3)
    by devils advocate ed on Fri Jul 25, 2008 at 08:47:03 AM EST
    Recently, a young 23 year old woman, was found murdered after she was chorussed into becoming an informant to help a local police department acquire information about the drug trafficking in their community. Unfortunately, she received little, if any protection or training of any kind, to help her with the police department objectives. What comes to mind is the fact that this young lady as well as any other police informant being paid by any law enforcement agency, should by law be required to train, educate, pay, protect, and compensate with the same identical rules and benefits as those who are requiring the services that they have instructed the person to do. In other words , the informant is an employee of the said employer, and is doing the same basic type of work as the employer for the employer's benefit.

    Questioning the Use of Police Informants | 3 comments (3 topical)

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