All rights reservedHarfield, CliveStanier, IanDover, RobNunan, Jordan2025-11-122025-11-122026-04https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14802/38152Politicians and public alike wanted to know why Victoria Police (Australia) were making little substantive headway investigating a seemingly unstoppable wave of serious and organized crimes, manifested not least in a murderous gangland war that had lasted over a decade (AAP, 2014). Whoever was really in control of the streets of Melbourne, through journalism’s lens it did not appear to be Victoria Police. For the both the organization’s executive command, and for frontline detectives – feeling the heat of public and political scrutiny (McMurdo, 2020:v1, pp.80-81) - when presented with an unparalleled, unprecedented, opportunity to gather information from a source trusted by those under investigation; a source who knew exactly how and in what ways the suspects were vulnerable; a source who could provide information that would not only secure evidence but also inform prosecution strategy and so secure convictions, the attraction of the proposition seemed a no-brainer: why wouldn’t you?enBook chapter