Abstract
Little is known about the stressors of working in covert and undercover policing roles and the impact these can have on the health and psychological well-being of police officers. Extant literature focuses upon the social impact of undercover and covert policing in a democratic society, especially in relation to policing political groups. Presented here are the results of an exploratory study into the lives of former police officers who have engaged in various forms of covert/undercover policing. Utilising semi-structured interviews, in a five-participant case-study design, this research investigates the impact that covert and undercover policing has on the well-being of former officers who have undertaken this role, and how they utilised coping strategies. Data were thematically analysed using Braun and Clarke’s framework (Braun and Clarke 2006). Findings were consistent in that fear of violence was a large factor that impacted the well-being and personal relationships of undercover officers. The paper concludes by outlining pertinent suggestions for future research and considers the implications for covert policing.
Highlights
The uniformed police officer has, and continues to be, the focus of much academic interest (Loftus et al 2016)
A thematic analysis of the data gathered has allowed an understanding of the stressors that former covert police officers can face, and the coping strategies that they utilise to mitigate the negative effects of these stressors
This paper offers an insight into the experiences of former police officers who have engaged in covert police work
Summary
The uniformed police officer has, and continues to be, the focus of much academic interest (Loftus et al 2016). One must consider Marx (1988) when beginning a discussion on covert policing; much of the earlier literature was a discussion of the well-being and psychological effects on undercover operatives of covert investigations (Farkas 1986; Girodo 1984, 1985). This was largely the trajectory of undercover policing research until the turn of the millennium when the interest became increasingly upon the legality and morality of undercover policing (Choo 1999; Roberts 2000). Some have taken the view that academic research on undercover policing is extremely limited, and we can only conclude that claims about undercover policing cannot be made in the face of limited empirical research (Kruisbergen et al 2011; Loftus et al 2016)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
