Reverse Sting Case Study

Street-level drug law enforcement practices are policing strategies that aim to reduce or prevent illicit drug use, drug dealing, and associated problems at drug-dealing locations. According to the assigned text, law enforcement on the street utilize four methods of apprehension. The “reverse sting” is popular among community members and law enforcement. Both often benefit for this type of operation. Law enforcement agencies make money from seized money and property as a result of forfeitures. Neighborhoods benefit from the drug dealers and drug buyers moving out and into other areas. The reverse sting does bear the burden of some criticism though. Critics of this tactic argue that it only alleviates one side of the drug dynamic, the “demand” side. Abusers are arrested but the dealers themselves are not. Regardless (Levinthal, 2012). The problem may be eliminated from a street or neighborhood, but it simply picks back up somewhere else. The second law enforcement method is the “controlled buy.” Utilizing an informant, undercover agents buy drugs under the supervision of law enforcement. Informants are often paid for their work and maybe facing drug charges …show more content…
First is the “buy-bust” operation is done in a controlled environment with hidden camera surveillance. An undercover agent will make a drug buy at a given location and immediately agents staged in close proximity arrive and make both buyer and seller; this is done to protect the “buying” agent’s identity. The second undercover buy is the “buy-walk,” an undercover agent will complete the drug buy and walk away, obtaining a warrant to serve on the dealer at a later time. The buy-walk is often safer for the undercover agent as well as protects their identity. This operation is typically used when the drugs are sold out of a residence and safety is paramount (Levinthal,