Shining a light on the shadowy

WHY WAS A RAPIST ON THE POLICE PAYROLL?

IT’S the dark, unseen side of policing that is under the spotlight.

Police have been paying criminals for information for as long as policing has existed.

But the practice of using informants, which rarely comes to the public’s attention, is under intense scrutiny after it was revealed that Northumbria Police paid a rapist to infiltrate the Operation Shelter grooming network.

The force’s Chief Constable defended the deployment saying the man, known only as XY, helped detectives disrupt the gang’s sex parties and protected potential victims from abuse.

But others argued having a rapist on the payroll was amoral, undermined victims’ confidence and could have put vulnerable people at risk.

As the debate continues, a former Northumbria detective has lifted the lid on the murky world of the Covert Human Intelligence Source, or ‘CHIS.’

Nigel Wilkinson, who worked as both an informant handler and informant controller, told The Chronicle turning to the criminal underworld, however risky, is sometimes the only way to find the information.

He said: “As a detective I have dealt with informant led operations concerning paedophiles, terrorist and other criminals,

“There is not an area of crime where informants are not used. That is the police’s job, no one else will do it. As most informants are criminals they are often dishonest so their motivation for any piece of information is evaluated, risk assessed and analysed against other intelligence.

“That being said, policing could not be done without the use of and cooperation of informants. Often placing themselves at risk by the nature of the role.

“The use of informants in all levels of crime is an often used option when considering what can be termed ‘non-conventional’ options, for example; informants, surveillance, covert audio and video recording and interception of communications. It is daily policing.”

Newcastle Crown Court heard XY was paid almost £10,000 by Northumbria Police detectives working on the force’s Operation Shelter.

The investigation, which forms part of the wider exploitation initiative Operation Sanctuary, saw 18 people convicted for sexually exploiting vulnerable girls and women in Newcastle’s West End.

The conspiracy saw victims lured to house parties before being plied with drugs and booze then sexually abused.