An undercover agent or a confidential informant identifies individuals they believe are prone to violence or gang activity.
In a standard sting, an undercover officer might act as a buyer (e.g., buying drugs from a dealer). In a , the roles are flipped: the officer acts as the seller or the organizer .
Identify active "crews" that are looking for opportunities to commit violent robberies.
Proponents of reverse operations argue that they are a proactive way to get dangerous individuals off the street before they can harm innocent civilians. By creating a controlled environment, police argue they can:
The most common form of the reverse gang tactic is the "fictional stash house" plot. Here’s how the cycle typically goes: