Blog post 3: Undercover Police Work

One of the most thrilling and exciting aspects of law enforcement is undercover operations. However, according to Lloyd F Dumont, “undercover work is exciting, extremely useful, and dangerous, extremely dangerous (Dumont, 2000)”. Dealing with criminals on any level is dangerous, but to masquerade as one in attempts to earn their confidence to eventually expose them is far more dangerous (Dumont, 2000). In addition, undercover work is a paradox; it is the process of doing right by doing wrong (Dumont, 2000). Undercover officers are essentially actors who get to engage in such conduct they would otherwise never do. According to George I. Miller, author of Observations on Police Undercover Work, “undercover police work is the instances when a sworn officer, for organizationally approved investigative purposes, adopts an encompassing but fictitious civic identity and maintains it as a total identity over a defined and considerable period of time (Dumont, 2000)”. In spite of the immense risk, undercover operations hold an extensive and valued history within the field of law enforcement (Dumont, 2000).

Moreover, because this type of police work involves so many dangerous risks, the likelihood for occupation stress increases drastically. For instance, officers in deep undercover operations are at the highest risk for developing a stress disorder (Miller, 2006). Officer engaging in deep, long term undercover operations are aware that eventually their role within the operation will come to an end. Psychologically, the core of all undercover operations is the same; officers will consciously and purposefully form relationships where betrayal is inevitable (Miller, 2006). Many undercover officers discover this dual betrayal a difficult path to travel which only adds to the stressors synonymous in undercover work (Miller, 2006). In furtherance of developing a new lifestyle and new relationships, officers are also required to sacrifice additional aspects of their lives. For example, undercover officer must be able and willing to spend long period of time away friends and family (Miller, 2006). This in turn can have disastrous effects on the officer’s marriage as well as the relationships with younger children.

As a result of long time intervals spent away from friends and family in convergence with the demanding dynamics of the mission only further exasperate the stress felt by undercover officers. Furthermore, undercover officers are nearly ten times more likely to be shot or shoot at someone else compared to uniformed officers (Miller, 2006). While the exact targets of undercover operations handled by law enforcement may vary, drug trafficking, money laundering, and so on, the primary goal is to develop prosecutable evidence by accessing these subjects and their activities while on the inside (Miller, 2006). Moreover, undercover operation is a critical aspect of gathering evidence to prosecute serious crimes through the skillful infiltration of criminal groups by specially trained officers (Miller, 2006). Moreover, allowing officers to infiltrate and extinguish illegal operations is a crucial element for protecting our communities. For instance, one undercover investigator of the Los Angeles Police Department made an illegal weapons buy from a suspect, which in turn lead searchers to discover a total of 388 firearms similar to those used in violent street crimes (California, 2004).

A common trend utilized by law enforcement to combat the stress associated with undercover work is the assistance of psychologists. Moreover, many agencies believe that steady contact as well as regular psychological monitoring is the best assurance that such stresses and other psychological problems won’t boil over to a point that would compromise the mission or put the officer in any eminent danger (Miller, 2006). In addition, many law enforcement agencies use tactics allowing officers to properly reintegrate back into the traditional police role and their family life. However, because undercover work is so dangerous and unique, choosing the right officer is crucial. In order to insure the stress of undercover work is kept to a minim, officer selection and close monitoring of undercover officers is essential. Local law enforcement agencies must remain diligent and stay current regarding safety procedures of those officers selected to execute undercover operations. 

References

Lloyd F Dumont.  (2000, October). Minimizing undercover violence. Law & Order, 48(10), 103-109.  Retrieved April 1, 2011, from Criminal Justice Periodicals. (Document ID: 63376620)

Laurence Miller.  (2006). Undercover Policing: A Psychological and Operational Guide. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 21(2), 1-24.  Retrieved April 3, 2011, from Criminal Justice Periodicals. (Document ID: 1174205981).

Laurence Miller.  (2006). Undercover Policing: A Psychological and Operational Guide. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 21(2), 1-24.  Retrieved April 2, 2011, from Criminal Justice Periodicals. (Document ID: 1174205981).

California: UNDERCOVER WORK FINDS NEST OF 388 GUNS. (2004, September). Crime Control Digest, 38(37), 6.  Retrieved April 2, 2011, from Criminal Justice Periodicals. (Document ID: 723635111).