Product Description The new edition of this book continues to provide a practical, introductory guide for anyone working in the area of covert investigation. This edition is updated to include new draft codes of practice to RIPA, new thinking on risk management, and updates to case law. It also offers discussion on the interpretation and implementation of covert powers subsequent to the outcome of the Home Office review. The book contains all therelevant legislation, codes of practice and case-law relating to covert investigation methods and examines the issues that investigators need to consider when deploying such investigative tools, concentrating on the full implications of RIPA with regards to daily, routine policing activity. The authors consider each different aspect of covert investigation in turn, discussing statutory provision and introducing case law alongside investigation management issues. It successfully demystifies an area of investigation and enforcement that has up until now been poorly understood. It isintended to assist those planning and supervising investigations and those with a statutory obligation to sanction applications for authorized covert investigation or withhold such authority. It will help officers improve the quality of RIPA applications, ensure that applications for coverinvestigation are made only in appropriate circumstances, and to help investigators apply the law and procedure correctly in order to minimize procedural challenges at court. 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 usefulchecklists. About the Author Dr. Clive Harfield is Deputy Director for the John Grieve Centre for Policing & Community Safety at London Metropolitan University. Prior to this he was a serving police officer for over fifteen years. He has served in three shire forces and two national agencies and from July 2003 until September2004 he was a Basic Command Unit Intelligence Manager (Detective Inspector) in Warwickshire Police. Superintendent Karen Harfield is currently Head of Strategic Development, Warwickshire Police, having been Head of Intelligence for the force between 2001-2004, in which capacity she was the force registrar for covert human intelligence sources and oversaw a number of covert investigations. Shehas previously served with the National Crime Squad and working with both this and other agencies has operational experience of covert investigation at local, national and international levels. In 2000 she participated in an International Visitors Programme at the nomination of the US Dept ofJustice. Clive Harfield and Karen Harfield also co-author another title in the Practical Policing series, Intelligence (which published in March 2008).