: Law enforcement agencies go to great lengths to keep the identities of CIs secret. Disclosing the identity of an informant can lead to severe safety risks for the individual and potential criminal charges for those who leak the information. Indiana Public Records Act : Under the Indiana Access to Public Records Act (APRA)
: Master files containing the true identities of informants are kept in locked safes within specialized units like the Criminal Intelligence Unit. confidential informant list indiana
Those bargaining for leniency or "working off" their own criminal charges. : Law enforcement agencies go to great lengths
Motives vary. Some are facing criminal charges and hope to receive a favorable plea deal (often called “cooperating witnesses”). Others are paid cash—sometimes hundreds or thousands of dollars per case. Still others are simply citizens who want to report crime anonymously. Those bargaining for leniency or "working off" their
If a person sues a police department for wrongful arrest or excessive force, and an informant’s tip was the basis for the arrest, a judge may order disclosure. In Johnson v. City of Indianapolis (S.D. Ind. 2018), the federal court ordered the city to identify a CI who had provided false information leading to an illegal search.