While television super sleuths like Columbo and Quincy are famous for solving crimes through brilliant deductions and scientific evidence, in reality it is the use of informants that leads to the arrests and convictions of more criminals than any other investigative technique in law enforcement. Confidential Informant: Understanding Law Enforcement's Most Valuable Tool explores the covert and clandestine world of informants-revealing the secrets of how to find them and make the most out of them, while at the same time, avoiding the pitfalls of dealing with them. The book examines all aspects of informant development and management, from the motivation of the informant to the legal problems that accompany the use of informants in criminal cases.