9781422285121

Not only do local police have undercover units, but also the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other national agencies run undercover op- erations. Some private security groups also hire undercover agents to investi- gate crimes inside a corporation. Yet, no matter where they work,

The First Undercover Unit

The first organized undercover unit was created in France in the early 1800s. The country’s famed criminol- ogist , Eugène François Vidocq, set up the unit. It was called the Brigade de la Sûreté, or Security Brigade. Within a year, the unit had 28 agents working secretly on cases, posing as beggars, shopkeepers, and ordinary citizens. Vidocq personally trained his men. He even selected their disguises. Once, he faked his own death to catch a criminal.

being an undercover officer is a danger- ous and mentally grueling job. Under- cover agents often have to shed their own personality to take on the role of another person. While working under- cover, or UC for short, law enforcement officers will not carry any police identifi- cation. They’ll only carry a gun when the role they are playing calls for it. Double Life A good UC agent lives a double life, passing as a member of the group he or she is investigat- ing. Sometimes the agents don’t see or visit with

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