18 • Psychological Effects of Undercover Policing Channels 2022 department may have greater budget constraints that prevent them from implementing such changes. It is also possible that smaller departments and agencies will have a decreased need to implement such extensive changes. Departments and agencies that service smaller, rural communities may not have a need for undercover operations or use them rarely. If the latter is the case, it is still important that officers are trained properly for undercover operations. However, if a department has never performed an undercover operation, it would be safe to pass over the undercover training recommendation. Implementing mental health resources and targeting the mental health stigma, though, is necessary regardless of whether a department uses undercover operations or not. Again, the solutions derived from this research aim to guide the departments or agencies toward improvement while leaving room for customization. Recommendations While the amount of research conducted relating to this topic has increased over the years, there is still a limited amount of data available. Most of the research conducted on this topic took place in the late 1900s. This is out of a modern range, but it is a sensible problem due to the development and evolution of undercover policing that primarily occurred during the 1970s and 1980s. Another contributor to the lack of both quantitative and qualitative data is the ever-present mental health stigma looming within the law enforcement community. As long as officers fear retaliation from superiors and feel shame at the prospect of declaring they are struggling, there will be a continual fight for accurate data regarding psychological disorders within law enforcement. While the current lack of modern research and data is unfortunate, the data retrieved from the earlier research articles still applies within the modern context. However, there is still an incredible need for greater research to be done regarding the training of undercover police officers to determine if additional ways can increase the effectiveness of the training procedures. Quantifiable data sources must be found in order to support the arguments for and against proposed improvements and policy changes. Much of this data can be sourced from departments and agencies that choose to implement the solutions proposed in this study. Departments and agencies who take action should also plan to administer the assessments mentioned in order to collect quantitative data. This data can later be analyzed to determine the effectiveness of the solutions and how variables such as department size and duration of the undercover operation impact the results. Further research on the psychological effects of undercover policing and the various resolutions is also necessary, as there have been conflicting findings in the past. A greater understanding of the consequences of undercover operations will yield solutions and improvements within the selection process, training procedures, and reintegration policies—solutions that can better help the officers involved.
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