Controlling Criminal Investigations: The Case of Undercover Operations

Past decades have demonstrated a growth in instruments strengthening the control of police activities. Police powers are more and more regulated by law, performance management aims to boost efficiency in policing, and authority over criminal investigations has partially been centralized. This article uses unique empirical data on undercover policing in the Netherlands to gain insight into the outcomes these control mechanisms produce in investigative practice. The results indicate that investigative practise is less malleable than assumed by policy makers. Furthermore, control mechanisms can generate perverse effects. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]