Examining all the issues you need to consider when deploying investigative tools under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) and the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, Covert Investigation is a highly practical and detailed guide to this important, complex and sometimes controversial area of the law. Fully revised, Covert Investigation sets the context for the moral management of covert investigations, and the statutory principles underpinning such interventions. Authorization and governance frameworks are discussed, with emphasis on issues facing authorizing officers, as well as a focus on practical management issues from strategic and operational perspectives. Part 2 concentrates on the statutory elements of covert investigations, addressing directed surveillance, intrusive surveillance, property interference, and surveillance through communications and the data it generates. There is also discussion of the use of covert human intelligence sources, especially the significant moral issues arising from relationship manipulation and privacy intrusion within the sphere of covert investigations. The authors present clear and concise guidance to ensure that applications for covert investigations are made only in appropriate circumstances and that those investigations are undertaken with the utmost integrity. The book forms part of the Blackstone's Practical Policing Series. The series, aimed at junior to middle ranking officers, consists of practical guides containing clear and detailed explanations of the relevant legislation and practice, accompanied by case studies, illustrative diagrams and useful checklists.

"The fact that this is the fifth and latest edition of Covert Investigation from the Oxford University Press is a testament to the book's enduring popularity and above all, its usefulness and the special insights it provides into the diverse legal, ethical and moral issues inherent in implementing police intelligence techniques." - Phillip Taylor MBE, Head of Chambers, and Elizabeth Taylor, Richmond Green Chamber