In exchange for leniency, untrained informants are sent out to perform dangerous police operations with few legal protections.
OK. Well perhaps you need to rethink your goals and strategies. If this was any other bureaucratic organization, the executives would see this as a problem and have some big long meetings and hire some consultants to offer possible solutions. Bribing minor offenders who are scared by the macho-cocky-coppers to do your dirty work is not a viable solution.“Without them, narcotics operations would practically cease to function.”
Snitching is dishonorable and dangerous. My parents taught me to never snitch unless I needed do so to prevent great harm or danger. These parents crying about the how CI's are handled have only their self to blame. They gave their kids a moral framework ready made for weakness compromise and deceit. They didn't teach their kids to NEVER TALK TO THE COP FOR ANY REASON AND ALWAYS ASK FOR A LAWYER! If you have kids and you haven't taught or plan on teaching them this important lesson you are a shitty parent. Police are extremely dangerous individuals who almost never have your best interest at heart. I feel bad for none of the murdered snitches in this story, by agreeing to help cage their fellow man they were willing participents in their fate.
This is irresponsible at best, and (should be) criminal at worst. At the very least these informants should have some sort of training, along with protective clothing in case something goes wrong.
The fact that Law Enforcement has to rely on these types of tactics just highlights how much of a lost cause this War on Drugs really is. This sort of reminds me of how certain war lords turn to child soldiers when there are no longer enough adults left to fight.
Single page version: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/09/03/120903fa_fact_...