Covert Investigations A Practical Guide for Investigators 2nd Edition

The new edition of this book continues to provide a practical, introductory guide for anyone working in the area of covert investigation.

This edition is updated to include new draft codes of practice to RIPA, new thinking on risk management, and updates to case law. It also offers discussion on the interpretation and implementation of covert powers subsequent to the outcome of the Home Office review. The book contains all the relevant legislation, codes of practice and case-law relating to covert investigation methods and examines the issues that investigators need to consider when deploying such investigative tools, concentrating on the full implications of RIPA with regards to daily, routine policing activity.

The authors considers each different aspect of covert investigation in turn, discussing statutory provision and introducing case law alongside investigation management issues. It successfully demystifies an area of investigation and enforcement that has hitherto been poorly understood. It is intended to assist those planning and supervising investigations and those with a statutory obligation to sanction applications for authorised covert investigation or withhold such authority. It will help officers improve the quality of RIPA applications, ensure that applications for cover investigation are made only in appropriate circumstances, and to help investigators apply the law and procedure correctly in order to minimise procedural challenges at court.

The book forms part of the Blackstone's Practical Policing Series. The series, aimed at junior to middle ranking officers, consists of practical guides containing clear and detailed explanations of the relevant legislation and practice, accompanied by case studies, illustrative diagrams and useful checklists.

• Provides a practical introduction to covert policing law and the issues involved
• Includes updates to the RIPA 2000 Codes of Practice and all other relevant legislation, allowing easy access to key source material
• Chapters arranged thematically by investigative technique
• Includes updated discussions of the complex area of risk management models
• Includes discussions of the complex area of risk management models

New to this edition

• Updated to include new draft codes of practice to RIPA, which are concerned with the acquisition of data by public authorities and disclosure by public service providers, and the encryption of electronic data
• Updates to thinking on risk management