12 • Psychological Effects of Undercover Policing Channels 2022 of the research and undercover operational procedures to be better understood. While there is not much quantitative data available regarding undercover police operations, there were a few sources that offered up valuable insights into subjects like the prominence of psychological effects relating to undercover officers. There is also limited survey data available helps determine the quality of training and procedures that undercover officers endure. These data sources combined offer quantitative support and reinforcement of the qualitative research findings. This research methodology presented its own challenges and limitations for the project at hand. Due to the nature of undercover operations (i.e., their sensitivity and/or classified status), the ability to take advantage of personal testimony was severely diminished. Thus, the only opportunity for personal testimony to be utilized in this study was through published testimonies found in news articles and other research. Another limitation to personal testimony is the persisting stigma surrounding mental health, especially in law enforcement communities. It is also important to note the impact of this persistent stigma on the available statistics relating to prominence and occurrence of psychological effects following undercover police operations. Regarding the limited statistical evidence provided addressing psychological effects in undercover officers, it is likely that it is underreported. Key Issues in Undercover Policing In this discussion, the current literature demonstrates that three key issues exist in varying capacities across the nation. In order to present and develop viable solutions to these key issues, it is necessary first to assess them in depth to have a greater understanding of exactly what is trying to be resolved. The first issue is the severe shortcomings of undercover officer training, which leads to underprepared and more vulnerable officers in the field. As mentioned in the literature, 56% of undercover officers surveyed within the Honolulu Police Department reported inadequate training and 41% reported training lacking in quality (Farkas, 1986). It is indeed cause for concern when approximately half of the surveyed undercover officers reported lacking training procedures. Many other specialized officer teams, such as SWAT, receive extensive and rigorous training prior to being considered fit for duty. Contrastively many departments seem content with the minimal amount of training for undercover officers, who often encounter dangerous situations similar to what a SWAT team would (Miller, 2006). While there are mandated training requirements for traditional police officers and undercover officers alike, the minimum requirement is commonly viewed as sufficient (McHenry, 2019). If we take into consideration the additional burdens taken up by undercover officers, it would be rational to take extra care with their training. Undercover officers endure extreme stress of a different variety than is known by a traditional
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM4ODY=