Undercover Operations Case Study

An undercover operation is an investigation involved a series of undercover activities over a period of time by an undercover employee. These operations usually involve an employee of the FBI, Federal state, or local law enforcement officer. The FBI sometimes uses undercover activities or conduct undercover operations, but they are in accordance with the law and are appropriate to carry out their law enforcement responsibilities (The United States Department of Justice, 2014). Any official that is in the position of considering an undercover application should also weigh both the risks and benefits of the operation and take into consideration the many factors that are involved. One factor is the risk of personal injury whether it is inflicted …show more content…
There are a few important reasons why undercover officers participate in authorized crime. Two reasons would be to provide opportunities for the suspect to engage in the target of the crime and maintain a false identity or facilitate access to the suspect (Joh, 2009). Officers are allowed to pretend to be drug users or illegal gun buyers looking for sellers. In “reverse stings” undercover officers may provide illegal drugs themselves, and chemicals necessary for drug manufacturing (Joh, 2009). In the case United States v. Russell, The Supreme Court defended government supply of a chemical to the defendant so he could manufacture methamphetamine. The court observed that “the infiltration of drug rings and limited participation in their unlawful practices” is a recognized and permissible means of an investigation (Joh, …show more content…
These detectives will be undercover at the Democratic-Republican National Convention event in Miami, Florida. Amy and Sheila will be going deep undercover to infiltrate some of the direct action groups that are planning to disrupt this convention next year. Both undercover detectives will attend a Ruckus Society training camp. They will live at the camp for a two-week period on a 24-hour basis. At this training camp they will receive training from direct action experts. The Ruckus Society is a group that provides training to a number of direct action protest groups. It has been around since 1996 and has played a huge role in organizing and training many protests. The Ruckus Society promotes and teaches strategic nonviolent direct action against unjust institutions and policies. It also has effective methods of media outreach and Internet technology to inform the general public (The Ruckus Society, n.d.). Officers that are undercover need to be able to draw a line between reality and the job. They need to be focused on the case while on the job and if or when it is time for them to return home they return to their normal lives. These officers need to establish a story and get to know each other so there are no mistakes or miscommunication. They need to do whatever needs to be done in order to keep their undercover status from being