Snitch Work in Western New York
There is an overabundance of snitches in western New
York and the tattle-tales fall into categories that encompass drug addicts,
vagrants and other people who are of very low socioeconomic status, individuals
with low intelligence quotients and mental illnesses, people who are desperate
to get out of trouble, and civilians who are turned into informants without
even being told that they are participating in such actions (Bennett
& Hess, 2004, 2007; Dodds, 2008; Rich, 2012; Werner, 2014). These categories can be described in four generalized titles; such as drug addicts/vagrants/other poor people, mentally ill persons, individuals with low levels of intelligence, and citizens who perform snitch work without knowing that they are doing so. All levels of law enforcement in the area engage
in using informants to maintain their positions and acquire information to
build cases and annoy people (Bennett & Hess, 2004, 2007; Dodds, 2008;
Rich, 2012; Werner, 2014). The work
happens more often than many people think and the so-called clandestine
activities are being used non-stop because of the transition from person-to-person
contact by law enforcers to electronic surveillance (Bennett & Hess, 2004,
2007; Dodds, 2008; Rich, 2012; Werner, 2014).
In other words, snitch work in the western part of New York is relied on
because police officers do not have to have much contact with suspects,
witnesses, victims, and human beings in general when performing law enforcement-based
processes, nor do these law enforcers have high crime rates or seriously heinous
activities occurring in the area – this is not because of the efforts involved with crime
control in the region. Moreover, the term “law
enforcement-based processes” should be understood not only as a method to
investigate criminal activities but, again, to also harass individuals who law
enforcers do not like. With the
categories that are above-mentioned, this piece will concentrate on detailed
descriptions of the snitch work and the illegalities that arise because of the
lethargic and unusual behaviors by the jurisdiction’s law enforcers.
Beginning
with drug addicts, vagrants, and other poor people, these informants are typically
abused by law enforcers both physically and mentally (Bennett & Hess, 2004,
2007; Dodds, 2008; Rich, 2012; Werner, 2014).
Specifically, law enforcers will take advantage of their living
situations – or lack of – and lifestyle choices and provide incentives that
include not arresting them or providing some small gift that will briefly make their
lives better (Bennett & Hess, 2004, 2007; Dodds, 2008; Rich, 2012; Werner,
2014). The incentives range from giving these
snitches food, illegal drugs, alcohol, small amounts of money, and promises
that they will be able to eventually stop doing what they are doing after a
person of interest is arrested and convicted (Bennett & Hess, 2004, 2007;
Dodds, 2008; Rich, 2012; Werner, 2014).
Typically, this does not happen and the used snitches end up becoming
abused until they can no longer provide law enforcers with information that is
desired (Bennett & Hess, 2004, 2007; Dodds, 2008; Rich, 2012; Werner, 2014). It should be noted that many of these people
are in desperate need of help and the law enforcers never provide any longitudinal
assistance that would allow for these informants to live a healthy lifestyle in
general (Bennett & Hess, 2004, 2007; Dodds, 2008; Rich, 2012; Werner, 2014). Law enforcers in Western New York are,
essentially, using poor people because they (law enforcers) know that these
individuals can be easily thrown to the wayside if there is any negative
attention brought about because of the abuse – which allows for easy cover-ups
about any of the terrible practices (Bennett & Hess, 2004, 2007; Dodds,
2008; Rich, 2012; Werner, 2014).
People
with low intelligence quotients are used for obvious reasons and are able to be
instructed to do something because of their lack of questioning about the work
that is being presented to them (Bennett & Hess, 2004, 2007; Dodds, 2008;
Rich, 2012; Werner, 2014). Law enforcers
routinely lie about situations and know that these falsehoods will not be questioned
by the selected snitch and that if any other person(s) does step-in to say something
then the low intelligence of an informant can be used as an excuse to deny any wrongdoings by the
law enforcers (Bennett & Hess, 2004, 2007; Dodds, 2008; Rich, 2012; Werner,
2014). Once more, this is an abuse that is
not only illegal but also extremely inappropriate when properly thought about
and discussed. In sum, law enforcers are
using people with learning disabilities because of their lack of ethics and
adherence to the legal system’s methods for establishing probable cause to
launch an investigation, arrest a suspect, and acquire a conviction (Bennett
& Hess, 2004, 2007; Dodds, 2008; Rich, 2012; Werner, 2014). Gratuities for these informants are good-natured
speeches and hardly include any serious incentives that would benefit the
persons with learning disabilities (Bennett & Hess, 2004, 2007; Dodds,
2008; Rich, 2012; Werner, 2014).
Individuals
with mental illnesses are used to perform similar activities as the people
with low intelligence quotients and are provided with little benefits for their
snitch work in Western New York as well. Police officers
will locate people who suffer from an array of mental illnesses because they
are also easily coerced into doing and saying something that will help law
enforcers and not produce much flack from the public or legal system in general if the activities are discovered (Bennett & Hess, 2004, 2007; Dodds, 2008; Rich, 2012; Werner, 2014). More precisely, law enforcers use an individual
with mental illness for annoyances and criminal investigations, have them
provide intelligence and, in turn, provide small incentives that includes
assistance with housing, food, employment, personal goals, educational endeavors,
small amounts of money, and positive mental reinforcement (Bennett & Hess,
2004, 2007; Dodds, 2008; Rich, 2012; Werner, 2014). Government assistance is typically used as a
method to have informants with mental illnesses conform to the requests by the law
enforcers in the area, yet much of the assistance would be given without the
so-called help from law enforcers – which demonstrates the unusual abuse by the
investigators in western New York. Many of
the annoyances and criminal investigations that these snitches help with are
minor offenses and centered on political-legal activists that criticize government-based
operations (Bennett & Hess, 2004, 2007; Dodds, 2008; Rich, 2012; Werner,
2014).
The last
category – civilians who are turned into informants without even knowing their
role – is a process that brings more serious questions of integrity toward the
law enforcers in the specific jurisdiction (Bennett & Hess, 2004, 2007;
Dodds, 2008; Rich, 2012; Werner, 2014).
Specifically, these procedures include feeding a citizen a story so that
particular feelings are acquired and the citizen feels obligated to help law
enforcers in the jurisdiction. Many of
the stories are mostly false or exaggerated and, in turn, can be extremely
dangerous for the citizens who are participating in the unknown snitch work (Bennett
& Hess, 2004, 2007; Dodds, 2008; Rich, 2012; Werner, 2014). More specifically, law enforcers in the western New York area are known for acquiring information for targeted individuals
by contacting people who are directly and indirectly associated with the targeted
person and asking individuals to tell them about the person of interest’s
behaviors, conversations, and known professional and recreational activities (Bennett
& Hess, 2004, 2007; Dodds, 2008; Rich, 2012; Werner, 2014). Again, some of these inquires are not for
criminal investigations and include acquiring information so that harassing endeavors
can be conducted because of a disliking toward a person of interest (Bennett
& Hess, 2004, 2007; Dodds, 2008; Rich, 2012; Werner, 2014). This is illegal and, in many cases, there is
no probable cause to initiate any type of inquiry (Bennett & Hess, 2004,
2007; Dodds, 2008; Rich, 2012; Werner, 2014).
In
conclusion, the law enforcers in western New York have been utilizing these
types of snitches for many years and many of the tactics are not only illegal,
but also a waste of tax payers’ dollars and have minor results that would
benefit society. Moreover, many of the
alleged investigations do not include criminal activities and simply include
abuses of power that go unchecked (Bennett & Hess, 2004, 2007; Dodds, 2008;
Rich, 2012; Werner, 2014). This
jurisdiction lacks serious criminal activities and, therefore, the law
enforcers engage in a frenzy of intelligence gathering to look proactive in
their profession (Bennett & Hess, 2004, 2007; Dodds, 2008; Rich, 2012;
Werner, 2014). Attempting to find the
next big case or cause minor disturbances in a person’s life has been ongoing
for such a long duration that the practices have also become taught processes
to new hires in the street-level law enforcement field (Bennett & Hess,
2004, 2007; Dodds, 2008; Rich, 2012; Werner, 2014). Since the area’s law enforcers are
unable to solidify their number of employees and expenditures in an honest
fashion these rogue tactics are, in turn, harming the public and, again, tax
dollars are being spent on useless actions that could be implemented in a much
better manner toward other social issues within western New York. Finally, there are other forms of informant work, but the categories in this piece represent the majority of the snitching activities in Western New York.
To hell with snitches and these bogus law enforcement practices!
To hell with snitches and these bogus law enforcement practices!
References:
Bennett, W. W., & Hess, K. M. (2004).
Criminal investigation (7th
ed.). Belmont, CA:
Thomson
Wadsworth.
Bennett, W. W., & Hess, K. M. (2007).
Criminal investigation (8th
ed.). Belmont, CA:
Thomson
Wadsworth.
Dodds, E. J.
(2008). I'll make you a deal: How repeat informants are corrupting the
criminal
justice system and what
to do about it. William and Mary Law Review, 50(3), 1063-
1104.
Rich, M. L.
(2012). Lessons of disloyalty in
the world of criminal informants. American
Criminal Law Review, 49(3),
1493-1539.
Werner, A. C.
(2014). What's in a name? Challenging the citizen-informant doctrine. New
York
University Law Review, 89(6), 2336-2380.
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