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Added: Thursday, 30 July, 2009, 06:36 GMT 07:36 UK

I think Police should pay informers for information. Some Police confidential informants take huge risks to gather intelligence for the police. The motivation of some informers may be suspect, however how else would the Police gain this intelligence? In an Ideal world we would all inform the Police of any suspicious behaviour, but when you live in an environment where criminality is the norm it would be impossible for undercover officers to infiltrate such a environment.

Andrew Bell, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

Added: Thursday, 30 July, 2009, 06:34 GMT 07:34 UK

If £50 to £2,000 stops a crime or catches a criminal it is very effective and probably the right sort of amount (small enough to not skew the evidence or mean the police have to believe it or risk their careers for buying bad information, large enough to be worth doing). I have one proviso, the informant should not be given carte blanche to commit crime because they are an informant.

Andy C

Added: Thursday, 30 July, 2009, 06:29 GMT 07:29 UK

Yes - better value and more productive than paying MPs!

Right On the rise

Added: Thursday, 30 July, 2009, 06:10 GMT 07:10 UK

Yes, they should. It may sound like a very squalid business, but back in the real world it often gets results.If an informant can be induced by a cash reward , to give information about a crime, it is money well spent. Government ,councils and big business spend out millions on consultants and "experts". Is this a great deal different?

Majikthise, Peterborough

Added: Thursday, 30 July, 2009, 05:48 GMT 06:48 UK

A tip-off that some crime is about to happen may be a good thing, but it could actually be used as a diversionary tatic by criminals or just a hoax to tie-up police resources.

A tip-off about a crime that has already happened may be a good thing too, but what proof is there? Will the police believe somebody if they have previously reported false crimes and wasted police time? It's all about the collection of evidence, information and the application of intelligence.

Paul Metcalf, sheffield, United Kingdom

Added: Thursday, 30 July, 2009, 05:10 GMT 06:10 UK

Why can't the Police hire more people? Why can't the Police have more undercover plain-clothes officers? Why is there such an uncontrollable & unaccountable cache of funds made available to these informants?

Such vital intelligence gathering should be specifically in the hands of the Police &/or Security Services as salaried staff.

It's such a joke that we have 'individual Police Forces' that do not share intelligence, that cannot support & assist on request.

[Fly_n_finn], Aberdeen, United Kingdom

Added: Thursday, 30 July, 2009, 05:06 GMT 06:06 UK

Now that more established businesses are flopping let us start new businesses, Infrmants Inc. and fund them.
Paying informants is also a new way to pay corrupt officials through proxy.
This is like a prison break for some criminals, commit crime and escape punishment by informing on fellow crimnals.

T V Krishnamurthy, Delhi

Added: Thursday, 30 July, 2009, 04:27 GMT 05:27 UK

The police obviously find it useful and good value for money,so I cannot see why not. I was actually surprised how low the sum is.

Lee Brown, Thornhill

Added: Thursday, 30 July, 2009, 03:59 GMT 04:59 UK

Sounds similar to what the Gestapo did in Nazi Germany.

Jonathan Derry, Chester

Added: Thursday, 30 July, 2009, 03:22 GMT 04:22 UK

Info from paid informants is a good investigative tool. It can point the police to additional lines of investigation needed to find the evidence for a court case.

This type of info is unlikely to stand up in court unless confirmed by additional evidence. In the US at least, a case based on a paid informant and no other evidence would wither under cross-evamination:

"How much, sir. did the police pay for this information?"

Tom Harwick, Emmaus, Pa, United States

Added: Thursday, 30 July, 2009, 03:16 GMT 04:16 UK

I do not approve of this shift in society where everyone is encouraged to "grass" on fellow citizens.

Gaz Sussex

It is the duty of good citizens to report their knowledge of crimes to the police. We must always think of the victims, and not act on misplaced sympathy for criminals.

In the inner cities of the US, the above sentiment predominates, and the likelihood of becoming a victim of crime is 100 times higher than the rest of the country,

Tom Harwick, Emmaus, Pa, United States

Added: Thursday, 30 July, 2009, 02:17 GMT 03:17 UK

Police have paid informants since the days of the Bow Street Runners! Don't get the wrong idea; they don't pay 'snoops' only those on the 'inside' with genuine info about serious crime or drugs. They are often risking life & limb to provide intelligence so it is right that they are paid!

They are properly dealt with by their 'handler', a police officer, & paid commensurate with the info provided. I have known it to be from just a couple of pints at the local, to many thousands of pounds!

[ChillOutPlease], Barton-upon-Humber, United Kingdom

Added: Thursday, 30 July, 2009, 01:34 GMT 02:34 UK

If it helps break up organised crime - then it's money well spent.

And honestly, there are so many petty and officious bureaucrat wastes of money, I imagine that there are plenty of things that are less worthy than this.

Prophet Tenebrae, United Kingdom

Added: Thursday, 30 July, 2009, 01:26 GMT 02:26 UK

Morally 'correct' people should inform the police of illegal activities without needing money first as it is.

However, there are other groups of people who either need encouraging to divulge information, or in other cases, would need the money to put to bed a large activity

EG: I work in organised crime of around 20 people smuggling cocaine into the country. I want out, but I can't that easily. A £100k for a tip off could help me start a 'proper' life while solving a massive crime.

[onedaysoon], York

Added: Thursday, 30 July, 2009, 01:17 GMT 02:17 UK

Putting a high price on the FBI's most wanted in these financial times should reap a windfall of criminals. It could be the next economic bubble.

[Joanoli]