Kouri T Keenan and Joan Brockman, Mr. Big: Exposing Undercover Investigations in Canada
| Date | 01 December 2011 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0004865811420027d |
| Author | Chris Giacomantonio |
| Published date | 01 December 2011 |
| Subject Matter | Book Reviews |
data. They conclude with a vision of how to move strategic criminal intelligence forward
as well as an assessment of the challenges that may preclude this from occurring.
Overall, the volume’s focus on strategic criminal intelligence (vs tactical and investi-
gative criminal intelligence) is both a strength and a potential liability. There is a rec-
ognized lack of emphasis on strategic intelligence in most jurisdictions in the English-
speaking world. This has been well documented and is one of Ratcliffe’s core areas of
scholarship (Ratcliffe, 2008). The focus in this text on strategic thinking therefore reflects
an attempt to provide a roadmap to improve both the practice of strategic intelligence
and its influence on policing. At the same time, the majority of the book’s discussion
(especially on the intelligence cycle) would apply equally well to tactical and investigative
intelligence. The practitioner community, which is likely to spend the majority of its time
on these other areas of intelligence, could be well served by only a marginal expansion of
each chapter to show the linkage to tactical and investigative intelligence. The trade-off,
of course, which the editor and contributors most certainly considered, might be an
attenuation of their message of the importance of strategic criminal intelligence.
References
Andrews P and Peterson M (eds) (1990) Criminal Intelligence Analysis. Loomis, CA: Palmer
Enterprises.
Peterson M (1994) Applications in Criminal Analysis. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.
Ratcliffe J (ed.) (2004) Strategic Thinking in Criminal Intelligence, 1st edition. Sydney: The
Federation Press.
Ratcliffe J (2008) Intelligence-led Policing. Cullompton, Devon: Willan Publishing.
Justin Lewis Abold
The Centre for Criminology, University of Oxford, UK
Kouri T Keenan and Joan Brockman, Mr. Big: Exposing Undercover Investigations in Canada, Black Point
(Canada): Fernwood Press, 2010, 133pp.: ISBN 978-1-55266-376-9, CA$18.95 (pbk)
A suspect in a murder investigation, thought to have criminal predilections, is
approached by an undercover officer posing as a member of a criminal syndicate. The
undercover officer wins the trust of the suspect and engages him in a complex ruse
whereby the suspect believes he is being groomed for membership of the syndicate.
He is exposed to a fabricated world of crime, intimidation and illegitimate opportunity.
His continued membership in this world is contingent on his willingness to admit to
serious crimes as a show of loyalty and proof that he is suitable criminal material. He is
induced through offers of money, legal help and illegal assistance in return for details
about his criminal past.
In the course of the unfolding drama, he is normally introduced to an undercover
police operative – a professional interrogator – posing as a crime boss; hence, these
scenarios are referred to colloquially as ‘Mr. Big’ sting operations. When he admits
the murder to the undercover officers, his confession and evidence originating from
his confession are used against him in his subsequent trial. Keenan and Brockman’s
Mr. Big (2010) reports that in Canada, where the technique originated, the charge rate
452 Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology 44(3)
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