What is it Like to Be an Undercover Police Officer

 
Welcome Paul Manning, a former undercover police officer in Hamilton Ontario and author. Paul is a member of the International Association of Undercover Officers and a member of the International Police Association

1. Can you briefly summarize your career in policing, including the roles you’ve held, when, and in which jurisdictions or units?

I’ve had the privilege of working internationally across three continents in various major policing units since the early 1990s. My career has taken me through assignments in Homicide, Anti-Terrorism, and Special Victims Units, but my primary expertise lies in covert operations. From the outset, I specialized in undercover work, often embedded in long-term, high-risk investigations targeting organized crime and violent offenders.

2. Given the inherently high-risk nature of undercover operations, what key factors must align to ensure both the safety and success of an assignment? Conversely, what circumstances can quickly escalate into dangerous or compromised situations?

Undercover operations are built on a delicate balance of planning, control, and adaptability. To ensure both safety and success, several key factors must align: solid intelligence, a clearly defined objective, robust operational support, and a tightly controlled cover story. Trust between handlers and the operative is paramount — you need a team that not only plans meticulously but can react swiftly when things shift. Regular check-ins, pre-established signals, and layered contingency plans are critical.

Conversely, the environment can become dangerous very quickly when there are gaps in intel, poor supervision, or pressure to take shortcuts. Emotional investment, mission creep, or loss of objectivity can compromise judgment. I've seen operations unravel due to lack of communication or when supervisors don't fully grasp the realities on the ground.

3. Is there specialized training required to become an undercover officer? If so, can you describe the nature, scope, and intensity of that preparation?

Yes, specialized training is absolutely required to operate safely and effectively undercover. In the UK and much of Europe, as well as in the U.S., there are formalized programs—typically broken down into Level One and Level Two training. Level One prepares officers for long-term infiltration operations, where maintaining a cover over extended periods is critical. Level Two focuses on short-term or 'buy-bust' style
operations—often seen as the bread and butter of effective undercover policing.

Interestingly, it's the Level Two operations that are often the most dangerous. These quick, high-pressure encounters can turn violent or unpredictable in an instant, especially when emotion or suspicion enters the equation. While I’ve worked extensively in the UK, Europe, and the U.S., I can’t speak to the Canadian training pipeline, because even though I worked undercover in Canada I never received any formal training.

 4. Since deception is a fundamental aspect of undercover policing, how do you mentally and emotionally prepare to adopt a fabricated identity for extended periods of time?

I know some undercover officers have really struggled with this aspect of the job. And I was always fine with it, however when I found myself under with serious organized crime groups in Hamilton my attitude and behavior changed to fit their character and never really changed back. In the UK and US psychological debriefs take place and assistance is given. In Canada, you’re on your own. Even years after working I still sometimes suffer from identity confusion.

5. Without disclosing identities, have you ever developed a sense of respect or even personal rapport with individuals you’ve encountered during an assignment? If so, how do you reconcile those human connections with the responsibilities of your role?

Respect isn’t a descriptive term I’d put to most of the characters you deal with when undercover, but rapport a necessity. You find yourself in a unique, trusted position. Working the streets as a bad guy is a first row seat to craziness. Targets will commit to an action that makes you think “They’re not all bad,” then within five minutes they do something that reminds you exactly why they’re the subject of an undercover investigation.

6. What effect has undercover work had on your personal and professional relationships outside the job?

I’d be a fool if I thought, or a liar if I told you it doesn’t have a negative effect on both. But that’s not just undercover work, that's every lower level aspect of the job, especially uniform response.

7. What are some of the most surprising or profound insights you've gained about human behaviour through your undercover experiences?

That nobody can be truly trusted, cop or perpetrator alike, and there’s some really sick, evil people out there.

8. What do you believe are the most common myths or misconceptions the public holds about undercover policing, particularly as portrayed in film and television?

Movies like Donnie Brasco or TV shows like The Wire often depict undercover officers engaging in high-stakes chases, dramatic confrontations, or living luxurious lives while infiltrating criminal organizations.

Undercover work is typically slow, methodical, and emotionally taxing. I’d spend significant time building trust with targets, which involves mundane tasks like blending into environments, maintaining cover stories, and avoiding detection. The work is more stressful, than glamorous, with long periods of inactivity punctuated by moments of high risk and very real danger.

9. From your perspective, what reforms or institutional safeguards would better support the well-being and operational integrity of officers engaged in undercover work?

For Canada, require psychological evaluations before assignments to assess suitability and after to address trauma or reintegration challenges. Follow that with regular, confidential check-ins with trained therapists experienced in law enforcement stress, available during operations without compromising cover. This is a standing operating procedure in the UK, USA and Australia. A psychologist can and will pull an undercover if they think its getting too much.

10. Without revealing any identities, can you share one moment of personal regret and one significant accomplishment from your career in undercover policing?

Personal regrets have no place in undercover work since lingering on them can cloud judgment and break focus. I look back on certain jobs and think “I could’ve done that better,” but most good cops always reflect. And a significant accomplishment? After over seven years total undercover, I still have all my fingers and toes.

Thank-you Paul for engaging with Hamiltonian in The Hamiltonian!

Paul's book Ten Seventy Eight: A Tale of Mafia Power and Police Corruption  has also been covered in The Daily Mirror in the U.K. If you are interested in purchasing Paul's book, click here.