Reverse Sting Essay

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There are four major modern drug law enforcement methods utilized by police departments in efforts to apprehend drug offenders. These methods are, the reverse sting, the controlled buy, the undercover buy, and the “knock and talk” (Levinthal, 2012). The reverse sting occurs when a law enforcement officer goes undercover and poses as a drug dealer. The law enforcement officer is then tasked with selling a controlled substance or imitation controlled substance to buyers. Once the law enforcement officer has a buyer, the buyer is the arrested and his assets can be seized. The reverse sting has some drawbacks as it puts the law enforcement officer at risks and is used to put the buyer behind bars rather than the seller, the dealer, or the manufacturer (Levinthal, 2012). The controlled buy occurs when an undercover informant buys drugs while under the supervision of law enforcement officers. The informant is usually either paid or is “rolling over” on other traffickers to avoid charges themselves. The controlled buy utilizes an informant who is supervised which allows less risks. It also works to put the dealer behind bars, and thus cutting the source in one area (Levinthal, 2012). …show more content…

A buy bust operation is set up by an undercover cop for a specific time at a specific location that is monitored by a team of officers using hidden surveillance equipment. Once the undercover officer sells a particular drug to a buyer he then gives a secret signal to the team of undercover officers monitoring the buy so they can close in and make an arrest. The buy-walk occurs when an undercover agent buys drugs from a dealer but does not make an arrest at the time of sale. The deal aids officers in securing a warrant for the dealer that is served later to protect the identity of the undercover buyer (Levinthal,

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