Book Help

[Ofydd]

Hi

Thank you for the great answer. What would you change about the brief? I personally didn't like the drugs angle when it was given to me, but i couldn't change it without expert back up. Can you give me info on the setting up of an undercover op?

Syd

------------------------- Followup To - Hi

I'm an author, who, until now has mostly written teen books. I have been asked to write a crime book by a fellow author who likes my style. Basically, the brief that I have been given is this:

A 28 year old police women is working undercover to infiltrate a drugs gang. She is/may be hooked on coke/other drug. Once inside the gang, she manages to get enough information to prevent a huge deal, but before she can get , she is discovered to be a cop. That's if for the brief- not really a lot to go on is it? To be honest I'm struggling a bit with this, so any and all information you can give me will be hugely appreciated.  

Many thanks for the information. Please contact me if you're unable to help or need more information.

[Beorhthramm]

- Howdy,

Lots of problems with your premise.

In today's world, U/C officers are screened aplenty. Any agency that does not do :initial drug test, random drug test and for-cause drug test, is too stupid to have a U/C program.

Most covert programs are also very closely supervised. Any hint what so ever, that the U/C may be using dope, it shuts down.

They also do net worth backgrounds too.

Two problems...her youth, and her being a "HER"

Drug gangs, and about every other criminal organization I can think of, are NOT equal opportunity players, nor have they had "sensitivity training" ergo, what does she have to offer the gang?

Somebody in the group will try to get in her knickers, whic poses other problems.

Keep in mind, that most criminal groups/gangs are macho-melvin oriented, in terms of their leadership, and membership(that matters)

It would be better to front off the U/C as a "broker", with alot of contacts. This sets the stage for particapation in about all the rackets....that involve a "buyer/seller" be it dope, stolen property, other contraband et al.

What's in it for her, is a "pinch"($) from each end, to make it worth her while to make the intro, or set the deal. Also, as the broker, she does not have to negotiate anything but the connection/pinch, and opens the door, for her to duke in another U/C. Better security for her, and creates a better case for enhanced prosecutorial appeal.

To avoid the little high-school harry's hitting on her, there are a variety of "outs"

she is gay, she has HIV, or some other communicable desease(have a drugist put plecebos in a bunk perscription container, that also has her undercover name on it.

Or, put an engagement ring on her. get one out of evidence, on a case that has been litigated, borrow one from a jeweler, or best bet, get a cheap one at a pawn shop. single or married women a guy figures he has a shot at. But even an idiot knows there is NO shot at a gal engaged...she is in the LOVE  ZONE.

Now, why would she want to "prevent a deal"?? The idea of her being there, is to get involved in a deal, or atleast the intelligence about it.

On the discovery of being a cop.

At the least little hint of being burned, her support team of cops would be all over that environment to get her out, one way or another. If there is a threat of violence, there would be SWAT backup. If there was too much risk, she'd be out of there.

A clean way to get her out, if it is not certain she is burned, is to arrest her in the presence of the bad guys. Go through with a arrest, all the way, as they can call the jail to verify. This ruse can salvage a caper that is on weak footing.

She needs to study non verbal comm. as this is the key survival issue of a good U/C.

The U/C game gets very complex at times. The level of difficulty is on a sliding scale from shallow U/C, to deep, long range U/C.

Hope this has given you some ideas. The subject is far too complex to really get more detailed.

I suggest you get a copy of "Undercover" by Marx.

He is not a fan of this aspect of police work, but you may also derive some challenges that you can commingle in your story.

good luck

loren

[Redley]

Hello Syd,

I've had a little experience helping others with a screen play, and will be meeting soon with Nicholas Peliggi, just for background.

However, I do have plenty of experience in police covert operations. Hope I can help.

First, what is the premise of the project? who or what is the target of the undercover initiative?

Does the agency FULLY buy into the effort? otherwise, you are dead meat prior to starting.

Like most endeavors, there will always be three questions that require solid answers:

1-what is the mission(s)? the goal, the assignment...

2-Will you be afforded all the necessary resources to give you an honest shot at goal(s) attainment?

3-what are the rules?

Some where along the way, you may want to deal with those precepts.

In my view, one of the best covert operations, is set up in a way that is perceived as "overt" operations.

Have your female officer stay a cop, but structure her as a "dirty" cop. That way, she never has to fiddle with a cogent cover story, and all the traps that go with it.

Plus, she can always be armed, as a reality of her position etc.

Instead of a drug habit, which can be a huge problem to script, have her have a gambling jones. That would make her vulnerable to being corrupted.

If her assignment on the agency is in the Investigations, you could spin it several ways. She could tip off surveillances, sell wiretap info, sell out cases etc.

The cmdr of the unit needs to be an active player on this, as s/he is the only one who can pull an assigned case from another Detective, without being challenged. You see, ALL u/c ops NEEDS to work on a "need to know" premise, otherwise, things get nasty, and you'll NEVER unfornicate the project.

Typically, she needs to say that she does not have access to murder cases, juvenile, or even cases involving senior citizens. You don't want to fool around in those waters....beleive me.

Other cases: burglary, checks, vice, narc, autotheft, larceny etc could all be "marketable.

After she sells them out, at the end of the project, the agency only needs to re-file the case(s), and ram them through the grand jury.

In Las Vegas, it was easier for me to set these type cases up, as the u/c"dirty cop" would make large bets(beyond what her earnings as a cop would carry) then, go to a different casino, and bet the opposite way. Therefore, betting against myself, that only costs me the state tAx pinch. Sooner rather than later, A "spotter" will plug her into a loanshark/shylock. This starts the caper rolling, as the shylock will ultimately vouch for the female cop as having a problem with gambling, and ripe for a wiseguy, or someother bandit to cultivate. Have her borrow money, pay it back, and it will cost you the vig(vigorish) usually anywhere from 5-15% a week.

It won't take long until somebody "turns" her into something VERY useful for the badguys.

You can see, where this wouldn't cost you much $ if you think. The dreaded time for police covert ops, is the last 1/4 of the fiscal year, where typically the department budget is spent. That calls for some abstract thinking by supervisors to keep ops going.

I've used food stamps, and postage stamps donated from those agencies: Dept. of Agriculture, and Postal. This was thousands of $ worth, and traded it for contraband> So, besides my charges on the suspects, the feds also file on them for "attempt pos. of government securities/instruments' beleived to be stolen, or whatever the fed code is.

Lots of ways to go if you head that way.

I think it posses less potential problems than a cop with a dope jones.

And, enherently more managable.

Just a suggestion.

let me know if you need anything further.

good luck.

loren