In Mr. Big: Exposing Undercover Investigations in Canada by Keenan and Brockman (2010) the writers explain what a Mr.Big operation is, who it involves and the effectiveness of the technique. A Mr.Big operation is utilized by the RCMP to lure in suspected criminals by means of participating in a fictitious crime organization; once they have befriended the targeted criminals to belong in this fictitious organization they must inform the RCMP of their past crimes in order to win their trust. Those who are lured in are usually interrogated; this is where the RCMP derives their information. Mr.Big goes into depth about the complications of using this technique, false confessions and how the RCMP goes about getting a confession out of the apparent criminal. Certain themes covered in Mr.Big are false confessions, and wrongful convictions.
After reading Mr.Big I realized the true complications of the judicial system. I enjoyed this book because it was full of information that allowed me to really understand the troubles that come when someone is accused of committing a crime. I realized that the Mr.Big operation infringes on the rights of people who were never guilty. There are clearly some negative components of extracting information this way. When preforming a Mr.Big sting, the risk of false confessions is greater because the RCMP is trying all that they can to get information out of the accused. The RCMP devises a plan to manipulate the accused by undergoing various sessions of questioning – in some cases the RCMP techniques are far too manipulative and cause the accused to make a false confession, which leads to a wrongful conviction.
In Mr.Big we are introduced to the case of Andrew Rose; he was convicted of killing two tourists, and upon confession, “Rose was subjected to what Gudjonsson would later call relentless pressure, abusive language, threats, inducements, robust challenges and psychological manipulation.” (Keenan & Brockman, 2010; p. 9). Although Rose did falsely confess to killing the victim while intoxicated, he was later vindicated as a suspect because of further DNA analysis; still, he will never have the chance to relive those ten years spent in prison because of a wrongful conviction. Mr.Big also examines the story of Clayton George Mentuck, another case where the theme of false confession is evident. Metuck was suspected of killing Amanda Cook, a teenage girl at a Festival Fair; the only evidence pointing towards him was the fact that Mentuck had been with Cook that day. Once Mentuck was already involved in the fictitious organization, the RCMP began to interrogate him until he confessed to the crime. It was later established that Mentuck was not guilty. Mentuck is now living in poverty and unemployed. The risk for false confessions have the possibility to ruin the lives of those wrongfully convicted; Mr.Big operations allow a bigger chance for this unfortunate happening.
In conclusion, the Mr.Big sting technique works in moderation; there has to be parameters that the RCMP can’t cross when interrogating the targets. If not, the suspects may be subjected to immense pressure and consequently falsely confess, as seen in the Rose, and Mentuck case. False confessions and wrongful convictions are recurring themes in Mr.Big as they have the power to incriminate innocent victims.
REFERENCES
Brockman, J. & Kouri, T. K (2010). Mr.Big: Exposing Undercover Investigations In Canada. Winnipeg, MB: Fernwood Publishing.
