In my city, like any major metropolitan area, over 80% of federal drug cases and a significant plurality of state-level violent crime cases rely on information derived from human sources. Detectives do not simply witness drug deals from a distance; they rely on CIs to make controlled buys, introduce undercover officers to suppliers, and translate the argot of the street. Without these individuals, policing reverts to the pre-20th century model: relying solely on victim testimony or lucky eyewitnesses.
In the end, the demand for a confidential informant list for my city exclusive fails the most basic ethical test: the minimization of harm. A name on a list is not a data point; it is a human being. It is a mother who called the tip line about a gun in her son’s school. It is a low-level dealer who gave up a kingpin to avoid a ten-year mandatory minimum. It is a survivor of domestic violence who identified her abuser’s illegal arsenal.
I can’t help create or publish a confidential informant list, assist with identifying or exposing informants, or provide instructions that would endanger people's safety or privacy.
California. Exempt. The identity of confidential informants and any statements made by them are exempt from disclosure. Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press