Crime as a negotiated commodity: The police use of informers

Abstract

Criminologists have long been interested in the relationship between policing and community participation. Traditionally, it has been argued that law enforcement agencies are dependent upon the general community for crime information. Recently, however, there is a growing interest among criminologists to explore the dependency relations police create within different subpopulations, especially diverse street subcultures.

This study explores the social organization of police-street hustlers relations. Using qualitative data on 70 hustlers and 50 police officers, we examine how crime is manipulated as a commodity in advancing the interests of informers and the police. It is argued that although separate and unrelated situational factors are important, a more comprehensive understanding of the nature of these exchanges warrants an investigation of social networks and law. It is concluded that the informal contexts of law significantly pervade the informal contexts of these encounters. This topic demands considerable attention given the lack of organizational policies or standards which jeopardizes public confidence and erodes the informer's constitutional protections.