Informants & Criminal Culture

One of the strongest prohibitions within the criminal world is that against informers, and failing to honor its potency—particularly in the selection of reformed criminals to help reform other criminals—will generally ensure failure of a peer-run program.

This article from the Detroit News is a good look at the issue as it relates to urban communities.

“The no-snitch ethos is a code of conduct, popularized through music, T-shirts and a distrust of authority by those who have the least power. It is particularly acute in Detroit and helps account for one of the nation's worst homicide closure rates of less than 40 percent.

“Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy has called it a serious obstacle to getting reliable witnesses in criminal cases. She complains that the unwillingness to testify has blocked prosecutions. Witnesses in pending cases have been intimidated and even killed, she said.

"One of the factors why the arrest and clearance rate is low is because of the no-snitching mentality," Worthy said. "Without people telling what they know to law enforcement we would have anarchy in the streets."

“Some say that's already a good description of Detroit.

"Truth is, that's the only thing that keeps my neighborhood bonded. No one helps us. None of us trust the police or any part of this city's government," said Ninoshka Nieves, 17, of southwest Detroit. "There have been so many promises made that nobody trusts anyone in authority any more. When something happens, we won't say a thing. That's the way it is."

“Some legal experts argue that no-snitching references in pop culture are a legitimate backlash to a runaway law enforcement practice.

“Prosecutors and police overburdened by criminal caseloads whittle down their numbers with a double-edged sword, trading lighter sentences and freedom for information. Without clear rules or public oversight, secretly brokered decisions are made without judge or jury about whose crimes get prosecuted and whose get traded away for damning testimony.

“Other practices and policies reinforce the no-snitch credo. After all, cops don't cross the "Blue Line" to tell on fellow officers. The U.S. military's official policy for dealing with homosexuality is "Don't ask. Don't tell." The Miranda constitutional right to remain silent suggests that anything suspects or witnesses say to police can and will be used against them.

“Residents of the most needy, least educated, most crime-ridden neighborhoods throughout the nation have grown resentful about the revolving back doors of justice when they see wrongdoers released from custody because they traded away their sins to put someone else behind bars.”