No, it is generally not justified for the police to remain totally dependent on an informer to search for offenders of illegal liquor sales or any other crime.
While the use of informers is a common, often necessary, and legally recognized police tactic, especially for "victimless" crimes like illegal liquor sales, narcotics, or gambling where there is no direct victim to report the crime, total reliance is highly problematic for several reasons:
Justification for Using Informers (Not Total Dependence)
Police often rely on informers because they are a vital source of "insider knowledge" that may be otherwise inaccessible.
Access to Covert Networks: Informers can penetrate criminal organizations and supply information about illegal operations, including the location of illicit liquor production/storage, distribution routes, and the identity of key offenders, which is difficult to obtain through conventional methods.
Cost-Effectiveness: Using informers can be a relatively inexpensive and efficient way to gather intelligence.
Establishing Probable Cause: The information provided by a reliable informer, often corroborated by other police work, can be crucial in establishing the probable cause needed to obtain a search warrant or make an arrest.
Why Total Dependence is Unjustified and Dangerous
Total reliance on an informer introduces significant risks and ethical problems that undermine the justice system.
1. Reliability and Motivation Concerns
Untrustworthy Sources: Informers are often criminals themselves, motivated by self-interest, such as seeking leniency, financial reward, or revenge against rivals. This means their information can be unreliable, exaggerated, or outright false.
Need for Corroboration: Sound investigative practice requires that information from an informer, especially an unproven or financially incentivized one, be corroborated (verified) by independent police investigation (e.g., surveillance, technical evidence, financial checks) before acting solely upon it. Total dependence bypasses this essential safeguard.
2. Risk of Abuse and Corruption
Entrapment: Informers may sometimes pressure or entice individuals who were not predisposed to commit a crime, leading to the controversial defense of entrapment.
Corruption: Close, unregulated dependence on informers increases the risk of corruption, as police officers may become overly reliant on or influenced by the informers, leading to compromised investigations or institutional corruption.
False Arrests/Searches: Relying solely on a tip without independent investigation increases the chance of an illegal or unjustified search, seizure, or arrest, violating the rights of the accused.
3. Ethical and Moral Issues
The practice of using informers involves deception and often relies on individuals who may be vulnerable or coerced, posing significant moral and ethical dilemmas for the police institution.
Conclusion
The use of informers is an important tool in law enforcement, especially for crimes like illegal liquor sales. However, it should be treated as a source of intelligence that supplements and directs a wider police investigation.
Total dependence is unjustified because it leaves the police vulnerable to unreliable information, increases the risk of illegal procedures, entrapment, and corruption, and fails the basic legal requirement for corroboration in a criminal investigation. A professional police force must utilize a combination of investigative techniques, of which informer-supplied intelligence is only one part.