1 Channels Vol. 7 No. 1 (2022): 1–24 ISSN 2474-2651 © 2022, Jones, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-ncnd/4.0/) An Investigation into the Psychological Effects of Undercover Policing Cheyenne L.S. (Jarvis) Jones History and Government Abstract Crime fighting tactics have evolved alongside the evolution of crime, one tactic being undercover operations, which were developed to combat varieties of crime beginning with white-collar crimes and government corruption. Today, undercover operations offer many other uses as well, ranging from drug stings to online operations targeting sex crimes. While these have advanced justice over the years, the time has come to begin addressing the negative effects of undercover operations on individual officers. Researchers have demonstrated that undercover operations lead negative psychological effects on the officers involved. Engaging with past and present literature has led to promising corrections and solutions to some of these negative effects’ underlying causes. Resolutions include increased training, a new attitude surrounding mental health in law enforcement, and a provided variety of mental health resources to the officers. With the potential to decrease the severity of negative psychological effects for officers returning from undercover operations, these solutions should be taken into consideration by law enforcement leadership nationwide. Moreover, researchers should conduct further studies on this topic to assess the effectiveness of each proposed solution as well as recognize any further areas for improvement. Keywords: Undercover policing, psychological effects, reintegration, identity, training, recovery strategies
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