what is a ci in police work

In police work, CI stands for Confidential Informant. A confidential informant is a secret source who, through a contact officer, supplies information on criminal activity to the police or law enforcement agent. The police often use confidential informants to identify and obtain evidence against persons involved in criminal activity. There are different types of confidential informants, including those who were caught committing a crime and are offered a deal by either police officers or attorneys, jailhouse informants, and career informants. Detectives have their own personal cultivated sources as well as registered confidential informants. Confidential informants may be paid by the police for the information they provide. The relationship between detectives and confidential informants is tenuous, and detectives must determine the motivation of the informant in order to solicit information successfully.