Police Informant

Callair A9A

Informant !

Have you any idea, what this means? What does it conjure up in your mind ?  Have you a preconceived idea? introduced to you from your television of what it means?
Do you immediately ? think of a person informing on his own friends to get a reduced sentence? or are they doing it just for the money? Does the word "Informant" actually mean a criminal to you ?

Detective programs on our televisions are constantly referring to "Informants" using terms like, "Stool Pigeon"! "A Spy"! "A Low Life"! or "A Snitch"! "A Coppers Nark"! a "Grass"! and oh yes a "Super Grass" plus the kindest comment of all, an "Asset".  They are spreading this attitude against innocent people and grouping them as villains, when they are only trying to help out society.

I am reliable informed! from my "Informant" among the rank and file "Coppers", that these derogatory terms are still alive and well!  and in full use, within the ranks.

What would you think ?  if I was to suggest that this may not be true  It may be that the "Informant" is just a ordinary citizen, that may or may not have seen something and just thinks the Police should know.
It may even be, he has been approached ? because of his job.Who knows?



Lets just say for this example:
Its supplying drugs to children ? he saw the drugs being supplied:
Next he tells his local bobby! who passe's him onto some-other police officer, who  is very personal and nice, he thanks him for reporting the crime and meeting with him, he goes on to tell him "how difficult it is to capture these people without help from the public."
He  also says "its a serious crime against our children destroying their young lives" He says all the things a normal person wants to hear on the subject of supplying our children with drugs. Then he will leave saying" if you see it happen again call me direct and I will respond immediately, and of course I will be discreet  and disclose no information about you at all"? ( this is possible the first of a long line of his lies) He leaves him with a feeling that he wants to help.

What does the police officer do next?

He goes away and assesses his new asset, to see if he is going to be of any use to him as an "Informant" he will check his back ground, looking for anything  he may use to encourage him to be an "Informant" and how far he can get  him involved? Will he be the occasional phone call ? or can he get him to be? as they call it, a "Participating Informant"and place him in a position, where he is of more use to them? But in greater danger to himself.

Ethics you say?

Well sorry! we are dealing with a strange phenomena of the police force? Oh yes! there are laws laid down
for the "protection" of "Informants". 
Briefings on what he's getting involved in and full details of his rights and his protection.

They seem to have a Machiavellian attitude towards the whole affair, you could say they are bigger villains than the real villains, all their promises ? on what they will do? to protect you are lies, unless it suits them.

When the penny drops and he finally realises what a fool he's been, he starts asking Question about the way he is being treated ?
He's told in a cold and challenging way that he was fully briefed  at the start? and they have signed statements to that effect? Without him knowing it of course? Fact is! he was conned ! by the very people he trusted and offered to help.
Seems the daily reports he signed in the back seat of a car in the dark were more than just daily reports? He trusted them? they are the professionals dealing with this type of thing every day and he was made to feel part of their unit.

When he decided to take them to court over the way they treated him.
All of a sudden the local paper runs a story about some "Informant"trying to get money from the police? the paper used his first name, and then a friend approached him and ask "is it true he turned "Informant" after being arrested". How did he know?  This is what you call outside pressure!

When he started on this journey, he was a concerned citizen? now he is an "Informant", There is no going back from this! nobody wants to listen to an " Informant"! his friends avoid him? and he is always looking over his shoulder. This is the way he will live now? his life has been destroyed? what more can they do to him?

There's a thought ! do you think the police ? would give his information to secure their next "Informant" ?

This is not a funny old world!

We can't trust our politicians? We can't trust our Bank manager's, We can't even trust our Solicitors or courts, and  trust our Police, to treat us as honest men.?
In fact we can't trust , that we are getting a fair deal! from oil companies? or Super markets?
We are just pawns in their games of life.

For me an "Informant" is one of the unsung hero's of our society.

Watch out ? there's a copper about ?

Agman.