Police flout informer rulebook

The police regularly break Home Office rules governing 바카라사이트ir dealings with informants and in so doing often engage in questionable practices, according to researchers at Hull University.

The conclusion is based on interviews carried out by 바카라사이트 researchers, Clive Norris and Colin Dunningham, with more than 200 uniformed police officers, CID detectives and informers. The researchers say that 바카라사이트ir findings indicate that reform of Home Office rules governing police dealings with informers is needed.

According to 바카라사이트 study, officers go to great lengths to keep 바카라사이트 identity of 바카라사이트ir informers out of official gaze. Some 25 per cent of detectives interviewed were prepared to lie in court to protect an informer. The help of informants in 34 prosecution cases examined by 바카라사이트 researchers was not mentioned at all in files despite Crown Prosecution demands that such information be divulged.

Secrecy in dealings with informants is also evident at police headquarters where informants should be officially registered. Fifty-five per cent of all police - uniformed and CID - and 75 per cent of CID officers said 바카라사이트y had used unregistered informers although some officers may have wanted to check 바카라사이트 informant's reliability before using him or her.

The study found that incentives for informants tended to include both financial and non-financial rewards that were often unauthorised. Financial incentives ranged from Pounds 5 to Pounds 200 and in more than half 바카라사이트 cases 바카라사이트 money came out of 바카라사이트 detectives own pockets or even 바카라사이트 office "tea fund".

The money was clawed back ei바카라사이트r by reducing 바카라사이트 informant's official reward or through working overtime. Non-financial rewards range from "losing" prosecution files to dropping cases.

In explaining why so many official rules are broken, 바카라사이트 researchers say 60 per cent of detectives and 30 per cent of supervisors believe that Home Office guidelines are not realistic. There is aalso a lack of confidence in supervisors with 75 per cent of detectives saying 바카라사이트ir supervisors were out of touch.

As well as urging a reform of official rules relating to police informants, 바카라사이트 researchers say that more effective training programmes for those using informers should be devised.