Mind the grass! Exploring the assessment of informant coverage in policing and law enforcement

Abstract

The use of informants, or Covert Human Intelligence Sources (CHIS), has become a mainstay of contemporary policing and law enforcement in the United Kingdom as police, security and enforcement agencies seek to tackle a range of crimes. Recognising the relative paucity of enquiry on this subject, and addressing the associated requirement for further empirical research, this paper explores how 'informant coverage' -the extent to which informants can provide information on targets, suspects, crimes, and criminal conspiracies -is assessed in policing and law enforcement in Scotland. It is principally informed by qualitative research conducted in 2017 and 2018, comprised of semi-structured interviews with 19 participants. Drawing upon a thematic analysis of the resultant data, and enriched by the author's prior experience as a practitioner in this field, this paper identifies the strengths and limitations of established practices. Additionally, this paper highlights the emerging role of analysis, and the contribution of the intelligence analyst, in this specialist area of intelligence work. It concludes that if analysis is to make a valuable and continuing contribution to the effective use of informants in future practice then sustained proactive leadership will be required to support such innovative approaches.

Fully informed? A methodology for assessing covert informant coverage in policing and law enforcement

“…Fully understanding the extent of informant coverage is vital to current and future practice, especially as criminal activity becomes increasingly complex. The author has argued elsewhere (Atkinson, 2019) that even within a system that seeks to develop and exploit an array of intelligence streams – including covert surveillance, interception of communications and open source information – the use of informants in policing and law enforcement will remain common practice due to both the economic value of this tactic and the unique nature of the information that informants can provide. The use of informants in policing and law enforcement is long-standing, and the deployment of this tactic is likely to persist in the future.…”

“…The use of informants in policing and law enforcement is long-standing, and the deployment of this tactic is likely to persist in the future. As such, this article seeks to proactively shape emerging analytical approaches to understanding and appraising informant coverage; approaches that take practice beyond a reliance on the subjective appraisal of those officers most closely aligned to those informants and who may have a vested interest in advancing a positive account of the coverage that ‘their’ informants can provide (see Atkinson, 2019). In doing so, a methodology is proposed – the ‘weighted spectrum approach’ – that allows policing and law enforcement agencies to comprehensively understand the breadth and depth of informant coverage in both operational activity and the wider threat landscape, including a developed understanding and prioritisation of gaps in coverage.…”

“…Informant coverage is understood in this context as the extent to which existing informantsthe informant 'stable' -have access to, and can provide reporting on, the people, places and other entities of current and emerging investigative interest. Yet Atkinson (2019) also noted how analysts involved in the assessment of informant coverage lacked a commonly shared, well-recognised, rigorous and robust methodology to underpin such everyday practice, often leaving analysts to devise such methodologies in isolation.…”

“…A recent study (Atkinson, 2019) has highlighted the emerging role of intelligence analysis in police informant work in Scotland, and particularly the involvement of civilian intelligence analysts both in the targeting of prospective informants and in developing an understanding of the ‘coverage’ provided by existing informants. Informant coverage is understood in this context as the extent to which existing informants – the informant ‘stable’ – have access to, and can provide reporting on, the people, places and other entities of current and emerging investigative interest.…”

“…Informant coverage is understood in this context as the extent to which existing informants – the informant ‘stable’ – have access to, and can provide reporting on, the people, places and other entities of current and emerging investigative interest. Yet Atkinson (2019) also noted how analysts involved in the assessment of informant coverage lacked a commonly shared, well-recognised, rigorous and robust methodology to underpin such everyday practice, often leaving analysts to devise such methodologies in isolation. Further reflecting upon the empirical research outlined by Atkinson (2019) – which drew upon semi-structured qualitative interviews with 19 serving or recently retired practitioners with experience of police informant work in Scotland, identified through a convenience sampling procedure, and with the analysis of these data enriched by the author’s prior experience as a practitioner in this field – this article proposes a methodology for practice that allows police and law enforcement agencies to systematically map the breadth and depth of covert informant coverage in their investigations and across the wider threat landscape.…”