Unnecessary Evil - Get Involved: Take Action to Address Informant Abuse

CONNECT WITH OTHER CONCERNED PEOPLE >>
> TOOLS FOR ACTION

If you are reading this webpage, chances are you are concerned about the ways in which informants are used, misused or overused in your area. It is important for you to reach out to other people who share these concerns so that you can support one another in seeking meaningful solutions. But because this is such sensitive and potentially volatile issue, connecting with others may not be easy. To help, here are some tools that you can put into action. In the meantime, if you would like to join a network of people specifically interested in supporting reforms to the informant system, fill out this form. The ACLU is collecting the stories of those who have been directly affected by informant misuse and those who are concerned about the informant system in general.
Getting active in your community
Becoming an effective and efficient advocate
How to find other concerned people
Tell us your own experience with informant misuse

GET TO KNOW YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS >>
> TOOLS FOR ACTION

Your local elected officials and the other key decision makers need to hear about your concerns with the ways in which informants are being used in your community. It is critical that you get to know your local elected officials and policymakers – city council members, the police chief, sheriff, district attorney and state representatives. Even your members of Congress who work in Washington D.C. regularly come home to your district to listen to the concerns of people just like you. There is no substitute for developing a relationship with your officials or their staff. Use these resources to build a strong, ongoing relationship with the people who make the decisions that affect your community. Some of these resources are designed to help interact with members of Congress, but the same basic advice applies when you communicate with your local policymakers.

Working with elected officials
Understanding your elected officials
Presenting information to elected officials
How to call your member of Congress
How to write elected officials
How to meet with your elected officials
Tips on meeting your elected officials in-district
Feedback on meeting with your elected official: Let us know

PUT THE INTERNET TO WORK FOR YOU >>
> TOOLS FOR ACTION

Even though it is very important to get to know your community members and leaders in person, most people also communicate online. There are lots of things you can do at your computer to organize for change.
Online activism
Add an Unnecessary Evil button to your web site
Add action to your blog, myspace or web site
Add the ACLU to your email signature

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD IN THE MEDIA >>
> TOOLS FOR ACTION

Use the media to amplify your voice and get your message to lots of people at once. Respond to informant-related scandals that you see in the news by submitting a letter to the editor and voicing your concern. If you are a strong writer, put your thoughts down in a more formal fashion and submit an opinion piece to your local newspaper. It is always helpful when you can voice your concerns on talk radio or television too.
Track informant news
How to write a letter to the editor
Feedback on writing a letter to the editor: Let us know
Writing an op-ed piece
How to make talk radio work for you
How to give a local television interview