Recently, numerous high-profile cases have created an obvious need for formal investigator/informant relationships. These relationships must be formalized and documented for both the protection of the investigators and the organizations they work for.

It has also become clear that not sharing informant's knowledge impairs the investigative process. Failure to identify, and share adverse experiences with other investigators may lead to dangerous situations. These revelations have created a need for a move towards an integrated approach to criminal investigation and administration of justice.

By using COMS to track the various aspects of your covert investigative activities, you can:

• Improve police officer safety by exposing treacherous and unreliable informants
• Improve investigative performance by significantly expanding your circle of informants to include other investigators in your organization, or other trusted organizations in your area
• Increase the effectiveness of your investigations by finding all known informants with knowledge of particular neighborhoods, crime types, or other specific details
• Allow for cost-control and tracking in an area where it did not previously exist
• Plan and execute undercover operations with full and complete knowledge of the talents and availability of trained undercover operators within your organization, or other trusted organizations in your area
• Ensure that expert witnesses used in investigations and subsequent court actions are qualified, and that the testimonial track record and qualifications are known in advance