Undercover Police Officer Posing as a Highschool Student.

First I'd like to remind people of the T&C and ask that we keep this discussion primarily focused on the issue of police acting as undercover agents in schools, rather than focus on what the kids were arrested for.

A 22 year old police officer, attended highschool to infiltrate a group of kids which eventually led to their arrest. He was there for 8 months. I can't believe this tactic is used. It is quite literally, unbelievable.

In my school, there were a large, large number of students involved in some type of activity that was either very borderline, or outright criminal. Yet, not always serious crime. The question, is why in the hell would we investigate and prosecute our kids when they are at the stage where they are learning, and in some cases, making mistakes.

If you condone this specific investigation, you should condone this for every kid and every crime, no matter how big or small the crime is. The reason being, than it would at least be far for all of them. It would be abhorrent, but it would be fair.

www.dailymail.co.uk... s-newsxml

An undercover police officer who posed as a California high school student for eight months has led to the arrest of 12 students on charges.

The operation was so confidential in fact, some of the students said they felt violated, especially with one claiming the officer posing as Johnny Ramirez had become a friend.
'I sat next to Johnny Ramirez in three classes,' Lance Rowell, a 17-year-old senior also told the paper. 'We really got to know each other. I can't believe it.'
'I felt like my privacy was kind of taken away from me,' another student told KFSN-TV.


Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk... jwnjX

21 jump street?

I think the posing as a student for this was wrong. I don't agree with what they were doing, but I think the police crossed the line on this one too.

Now if he posed as a neighbor or something like that, trying to "buy" stuff that would be different.

This happens all the time. I would be suprised if it wasn't in at least 1out of 5 schools
My sister who is a cop as soon as she finished police college was put on special assignment in a high school because she had a very young looking face.
She busted a drug ring that was selling pretty heavy in the high schools in a few towns over from us.
She was undercover for a full year.
I know in bigger cities they will have at least one cop if not more in each high school undercover.
When students are selling in the hallways at lunch then something needs to be done!!

I'm not that surprised that this happened.

It's a sad fact that our society has reached the point that are schools need officers to keep the peace. We never had this when I was in school, but that was a far more innocent time.

If the policeman was undercover to infiltrate a gang, identify drug sales, or to keep an eye out for the next Columbine then I understand the reasoning. Schools get slapped with lawsuits on a regular basis, and many of those lawsuits claim the school didn't do enough to stop bullying, drug use, etc. Hence the police prescence.

Originally posted by calnorak
I think the posing as a student for this was wrong. I don't agree with what they were doing, but I think the police crossed the line on this one too.

Now if he posed as a neighbor or something like that, trying to "buy" stuff that would be different.

I still think that is wrong. Highschool kids are quite accommodating with one another. Especially if they are asked by someone they look up to, or has more popularity than them, etc.

I think a number of kids would be willing to break a number of laws, if just simply asked to do so. High school should not be a place where police can entrap kids.

So what exactly is the problem here? Are we saying students in high school should get out of being investigated when they are running a drug ring? Undercover cops are used with everyone else why would students get a pass. Also its not like this is a new thing.

here are the crime stats for Exeter califournia
hope I got the right place
looks like crime is pretty low overall and that this was a probably a make work project

www.city-data.com...

if you look busy you are busy

We did this 30 years ago and it worked then too.

Since when is selling and using drugs in school "borderline" illegal?

i always wondered why american tv shows have people in their mid twenties playing the parts of school kids.

Old news, as the police have been doing this FOREVER.
I see nothing wrong with it as they can curb illegal activity of the young and dumb and all of these convictions would most probably be taken off of said youngsters record at 18, unless they were INCREDIBLY stupid that is.
This is most probably coming into the light now as there is a movie about it.
No story here.

Originally posted by Nite_wing
We did this 30 years ago and it worked then too.

Since when is selling and using drugs in school "borderline" illegal?

I said that in school while I was there, a high percentage of kids were involved in either criminal or borderline criminal behavior. In those days piracy laws weren't that strong, and copied tapes and CDs were widely traded. There are some other examples as well.

The bottom line, is if your objective is to prosecute kids, you will find something to prosecute them for.

Well, let me use an example the naysayers may not have a problem with. This would be an excellent way to investigate teachers that are suspected of having sexual relations with their students.

I don't see a problem with undercover police in schools or anywhere else.

I have heard of these cops. I suspect that they are not too difficult to sniff out if other students get suspicious. Evidently schoolyard drug dealers are rather slipshod about their security.

About ten years ago, when they started posting city police and airport-type magnetometers at the entrances to NYC high schools and middle schools, they shook down enough weaponry to equip a small army. Kids were taking serious guns and knives into schools. So I am no opposed to the police making a serious effort to stop crime in the schools.

Originally posted by LeSigh
Well, let me use an example the naysayers may not have a problem with. This would be an excellent way to investigate teachers that are suspected of having sexual relations with their students.

I don't see a problem with undercover police in schools or anywhere else.

edit on 18-3-2012 by LeSigh because: (no reason given)

Why not put undercovers in the Churches then?

Higher rate...

Bigger problem....

This has been going on for years. When I was 16 years old (many many moons ago) there was an undercover sting operation in a High School I attended in Kansas. It was a drug sting.

I was actually shocked when the arrest came down. These undercover officers got in good with the Students. Hung out with them. Drank with them. Did drugs with them. Even had sex with some of the female students at parties. Then one day, they came in and arrested everyone involved.

Originally posted by Nite_wing
We did this 30 years ago and it worked then too.

Since when is selling and using drugs in school "borderline" illegal?

Yep.

There were undercover cops in my high school in the early 60s.

They were only interested in drugs.

And it wasn't only the kids they were investigating. It was teachers too.

I always thought that they were called narcs, right? A.K.A. Narcotics Officer?

I changed schools in my last year of high school, and someone started a rumor that I was an undercover. It was awful, and impossible to make friends. Especially since I'm a smoker, I ended up having to just leave the school on my breaks because of the open animosity towards me. I wasn't being paranoid either, people would tell me I looked to old to be in HS, that I was required by law to show them my badge, etc. It's hard to show your badge when you're not a cop haha. totally messed up

21 Jump Street.

this story is about 25 years old.

but for you guys its new and alarming.

reply to post by michaelbrux


maybe its a story about infiltration in general, without regards to age or setting.

its basically reducing all lawbreakers to the status of children and raising the status of police as men among boys.