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Final Report of the Select Committee to Study Undercover Activities of Components of the Department of Justice

NCJ Number
124269
Date Published
1983
Length
790 pages
Annotation
This report represents the study of activities of components of the Department of Justice in connection with their law enforcement undercover operations.
Abstract
The Select Committee, authorized by Senate Resolution 350, provides recommendations for legislation based on conclusions drawn from the study. Benefits and risks of undercover activities are identified, followed by an in depth study of "Abscam" to illustrate the potential dangers of unrestrained undercover law enforcement activities. Recommendations by the committee include increasing authorization and reporting requirements, stricter standards regarding entrapment, threshold requirements regarding undercover operations, and indemnification. The Attorney General's guidelines are included in the report. Other operations discussed include Frontload, Labou, Buyin, Lobster, and DEA and INS operations. Finally, detailed recommendations for legislative changes are provided that address the above recommendations. 7 appendixes.