Informant

Informant

An informant is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law enforcement world, where they are officially known as confidential or criminal informants (CI), and can often refer pejoratively to the supply of information without the consent of the other parties with the intent of malicious, personal or financial gain.

Types of Informants

There are several different types of informants that are commonly used in law enforcement and intelligence gathering. These include, but are not limited to:

• Confidential Informant - A confidential informant is a person who provides information to law enforcement officers under a promise of confidentiality. This is often done in exchange for some form of legal leniency or protection.

• Covert Informant - A covert informant is a person who provides information to law enforcement officers without the knowledge or consent of the person or organization they are informing on. This is often done in situations where the informant's safety would be at risk if their identity were to be revealed.

• Criminal Informant - A criminal informant is a person who is currently involved in criminal activity and provides information to law enforcement officers in exchange for leniency or immunity from prosecution.

Legal and Ethical Considerations

The use of informants in law enforcement and intelligence gathering has a number of legal and ethical considerations. These include issues related to the informant's credibility, the legality of the information they provide, and the potential for abuse of power by law enforcement officers.

See Also

• Whistleblower
• Witness
• Undercover Agent
• Police Informant
• Intelligence Agency

References

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Informant

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  Payment to an informant
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  Two page totally confidential, direct and immediate letter from the Minister of Finance to the Minister of Foreign Affairs about creating a foreign information network for controlling smuggling
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  Program Aids - CHS Assessing
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  Confidential Human Source Policy Guide (redacted)