citizens working for police question

[Val]

If anybody will have the answer, it will be one of you here at the DIS. My baby brother (okay, he's 37) has been in trouble with the law- drug use charges/DUIs. He claims that he doesn't go to jail for his offenses as long as he agrees to work undercover for the cops and that's why he needs to hide and be all secretive. He is a plumber by day. We doubt his story. Could he be telling the truth, or have we probably fallen for another tall tale? Has anyone ever heard of something like this?

 

[C.Ann]

Well I'm no authority on this but I do know that police have informers - or better known on the street as "snitches"..

I haven't got a clue as to how you could find out for sure though..

Even if he IS an informer though you'd be best to keep him at arms length because if the "bad guys" find out he's a "snitch" it could get very, VERY ugly..

Sorry to hear you have this problem..

 

[Goofyposter]

honestly....I'd think he would have had to be involved "BIG" time with drugs to even begin to make me think that this story was "real"....

 

[The Mystery Machine]

His history may be found in public records so it would be easy for you to look up his offenses and make a determination from there I suppose, if you felt like getting into it.

 

[iluvorlando]

Possible, I suppose. I agree with the above posters, arm's length and public records if you wanted to do some research. Sorry you have to deal with this.

 

[Bob O]

Is it possible, yes!!!! Police do use informers(every dept has different polices in how they are used) and will be able to get some people's records cleaned up for minor things, traffic tickets/small things like poss or marij/disorderly conduct. But if they are involved in more serious criminal activity the police may have the DA recommed a lighter sentence due to his cooperation but that wont stop the charges going forward. Also if the person has a lengthy past that hurts the person's creditability and they are less likely to use them because if the case goes to trial the defense lawyer can have a field day with that.
In ending the story you are being told is possible but i woldnt believe it at face value without more info. Some people like to make themselves feel important by claiming to work undercover. In reality all they do usually is give info to police because their is way too much civil liability if the police put him in harms way and he did get hurt.
PS- But if what he is telling is true you may not want to be near him because payback for being a snitch isnt good and criminals are known to do drive by shootings and arent always concerned what they hit when they start shooting.

 

[Val]

Thanks so much for the advice. I live 2000 miles away, but my elderly grandmother (who's 84) lets him come and go and even stay in the house. Our parents are gone now, and its just Grandma and us "kids". I am REALLY worried about Grandma. I think I will copy these responses to her neighbors and alert them to what is going on. Please keep Grandma in your prayers--- my brother has made his own bed, and we can't enable his behavior any more, although I suppose he needs our prayers more than anyone!