Ex-Drug Cop Explains What Going Undercover is Like
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- Опубликовано: 1 июн 2024
- Ever wondered what really underpins international drug policy? Or how you get out the way of a samurai sword being wielded by a drug dealer? Whistleblowing ex-undercover drugs cop and chairman of LEAP UK, Neil Woods, opens up to VICE about the ins and outs of the profession.
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When I slept on the street for a few nights in Chicago, I'll never forget this: I was starving and I wasnt able to busk up any money that day and this old addict with a bum leg and a cataract over one eye asked me how my day went. After I told him it didnt go well and I was real hungry he said, "hol up, wait here a sec" and he came back about 5 minutes later with a backpack full of day old sandwiches and soup from a local shop. He gave me half of his food, despite my protest. He told me "We aint got no one else out here. We have to look out for each other"
That changed my entire world that day.
Thanks for sharing that, dude. I needed that today.
People on the streets with the least to give have been some of the kindest, most generous people I have ever met.
That's so heartwarming, thank you :)
You’re Stronger Than You Think. Keep Going. God Bless ♥️♥️
Yep, for each annoying, agressive or ungrateful bum there's one with a golden heart and iron personality. They're just like everybody else. There's shitbags and beautiful people - it's just that these guys usually don't have their appearence speaking in their favor if they've been on the streets for too long.
“he viewed me as his only friend in the world and then i broke that trust” bro that’s some heavy shit i wouldn’t be able to live wit myself no more after that
Ant facts bruh
That made me not like this guy. He's just locking away the small guys, thats not fixing the issue!
Yeah, especially knowing he was trying to commit suicide over the deception.
@@coliedeekenzo This is exactly why he quit his job in the end
I wish he haven't said that!!!.....
"I just made the lives of the vulnerable more unbearable". That's the first and likely last time that I will hear a police officer recognize that.
Many cops admit it. That's not the problem. The problem is they continue to do it even knowing how cruel they are. They enjoy the cruelty.
Why he is no longer an officer most likely
You know there’s a difference from a cop and a undercover cop? There’s a difference of what they do.
Commenting on the "enjoy the cruelty" comment....he mentioned that he enjoyed the work and was interested by the manipulation and lying as an intellectual exercise. I would say, addiction is a full time job where lying and manipulation take center stage. What I find interesting is that he enjoyed those aspects without the potential reward of getting high being the end result of those actions. The lying and manipulation will eventually begin to wane on the addict. If not while using, definitely after getting clean. In the throws of addiction the chaos is part of the high and the whole experience. The getting away with something aspect of it. This guy is not so unlike an addict in some regard. Similar actions for a different reward. Shooting dope without a needle. Sounds like it did begin to wane on him, however. It's people with backgrounds like this guy's who should be making drug policy...not politicians.
@@finitesound its not necessarily cruelty, its ego
How did you become a cop?
I looked like a crack head according to my colleagues
Nice guy doing his job ... if an under cover cop was around me .. it would have to be woody 🤦♂️🤔👍
😂😂😂😂
@Jason Prendergast imagine having *this* level of conviction based entirely on stereotype profiling of what *you* believe to be the *look* of a crack head. But yeah, I bet he had to hit it occasionally to legitimize himself
@Jason Prendergast but you just literally confirmed what I said? You’re projecting your experience of what you stereotype the “look” of a crackhead is. Ty for confirming
@Jason Prendergast I’m just going to leave this here. “Stereotype: a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing”
Do better.
"My colleague disguised himself as a bag of cocaine and was consumed by the suspect. It was his last day on the job"
Tragic!
M Allsorts u funny barstad
priceless bro ha ha ha damn.
Do you write for the Boosh?
I peed a little
Hahaha lol.
I'm 8+ years Sober & Sane, it took 19x in jail before I was put into a drug program! They treated my addiction & MENTAL ILLNESS. It was brutal and took 2yrs to finally be stable enough to start living again, BUT everyone deserves treatment. Addicts are human, they're mothers, fathers, children, friends ect... I'm still in therapy today. My life matters.
Addicts need psychological treatment also, we have to retrain our brains to think clearly before we can live sober! Jail does NOT help.
Good job proud of you!
19 times?
Yes unfortunately I've been in and out 19 times. Only 8 arrests with new charges. but I'd get bail and miss my court date, so I'd get picked up and sent back to jail, just to get bailed out again! So I've have tons of bench warrants that would keep sending me back. I'd be in jail for 24hours to 7months at a time. So not 19 long sentences, but 19x back and forth SMH
👏👏👏
Congratulations 🙏 it’s never easy to get out of the hole but it’s always worth it
You know at some point while undercover he did MDMA to not blow his cover and he thought "wtf is this illegal?"
DJiMMa I know they sometimes have to do it to keep there cover. These guys are very clever.
You'd be shot in the head if you refused gotta stay in character at all times
Shane Ryan Who in the world would ever shoot someone for refusing to do a drug lmao. Many drug dealers don’t even do the drugs themselves lol
@@kodirome3859 If you have been selling heroin to someone that claims to be a user for months and they refuse to do heroin, then they obviously aren't a user. Offer a junkie 5 quid worth of heroin for free if they take it in front of you and the will ALL say "yes". That is how addiction works, lol.
@@liam9214 lmfao dude has a book that says he did crack
"I quickly found that the most vulnerable people were the one's who I could use first."
@@catalyzerr he basically used those people as rungs on his career ladder. I think this tells us all we need to know about law enforcement's view of vulnerable people. They see them as fair game, disposable currency, once they use drugs.
ruclips.net/video/mWFtOmQ9dKA/видео.html
Wow very open and honest guy especially how he preyed upon the weak like that
Technically, he preyed on the weak, to get access to the people hidden in the back, that were preying on a lot more weak people in a lot worse ways.
Trying to get the people who are behind it, is not really "preying on the weak". He used them to do what he thought was for the better of everyone. They did it because it was better for themselves. There's enough to dislike about cops, but calling them more selfish than the drug-dealers that prey on people each day is a bit far away from reality.
@@liquidminds Very well said
@@liquidminds I've seen the devastation left behind after undercover police ops. Low level no bodies literally getting their lives ruined because they "helped out" an undercover pig.
Listen to the latter half of this video - the cop even admits that all his work was fruitless. The war on drugs as it stands is not fit for purpose and it continually punishes the weak and vulnerable. The changes he proposes at the end are the same echoed by drug treatment services across the globe.
Don't kid yourself about the current war on drugs" model. Top dogs remain untouched.
@@tintintb1980 dont get into it then
@@flamemojis One of the most ignorant comments I've read in while. Congrats.
Absolutely agree with everything he has to say.
Decriminalize, regulate, and focus on harm reduction rather than criminalization.
People who's drug use controls their lives should be put into treatment rather than jail -
it costs less to the tax payers, and it's more effective at reducing drug use.
Portugal already has this model, and it reduced their nationwide addiction rates significantly
And without an illegal market anymore,
The drug cartels would crumble.
It would reduce crime, reduce drug use, save lives, give back bodily autonomy to the people, and cost less taxes. There are no down sides.
Danielle Spargo It’s common fucking sense and the only way forward. But the government is too corrupt. They don’t care.
Democrats are cunts No one is listening to you, dipshit. We hear you, but no one is listening.
Switzerland was the first country to try this approach. There was an incredible drug problem in the 90'. Nowadays you really have to go searching to find human relics of that time. Switzerland and Portugal have shown that it can be done. There is an effective and better way to handle this problem once and for all.
Democrats are cunts: Unless you're putting everyone of them in jail for life, continuing to jail them & not treat them makes absolutely no sense @ all. However, they know the majority of people feel the way you do. So they keep jailing them & releasing them because they know they will go right back to using. As long as they're using, the cycle will continue. They want the cycle to continue because the Gov. really don't want or can't afford for crime to go down much. They want to control it so they can play with people's minds when they reduce crime by the very small % they feel will make a difference in individual's minds like yours, but not enough to affect America's economy.. If you really take the time & do your research, you will come to understand how crime is America's cash cow.!! There are very few careers where crime hasn't had a hand in making sure that career continues to grow. If you cut crime too much, it will affect America's economy. Crime creates jobs, jobs generate taxes, taxes is revenue, revenue is distributed to elected officials. .!!
You agree with everything he said for the first 10 seconds. smh
Hearing him talk about it, it sounds like you have to have some sociopatic tendencies to really be effective undercover.
I have no idea how you came to that conclusion. The guy clearly has a huge conscience, and he said that his greatest strength was his empathy. He lied and manipulated people as part of his job, not for personal gain. A sociopath would lie instinctively and only to benefit themselves. Sociopaths are often described as hot-headed, this guy is the exact opposite of that. He wasn't impulsive, he didn't break rules, and he was very good at getting on with others. He made long term plans, something sociopaths struggle to do. He had a strong sense of self-preservation, again, not something that a sociopath would have.
I literally cannot think of a worse job for a sociopath than an undercover police officer.
@@1815matt what would be the best job for a sociopath?
@@erikaserikas8239 a boxer
@@erikaserikas8239 Human Resources Manager
@@1815matt well, he did mention enjoying manipulating people and the intellectual exercise of maintaining a lie. this would at least be some machiavellian tendencies in place.
you can tell he regrets a lot and is very sorry for his actions, he was nearly crying talking about how he befriended a loner then betrayed him and made him go crazy
Hes the fucking devil
I can’t tell he regrets it at all. Did I miss something? Him simply recounting it is all I saw. Sounded like a sociopath
It’s rare but vice can still whip out good videos
Waynimations this is a re-upload it was a old video few years back
Most is left wing propaganda.
@@LilWhitePrivileged VOTE 4 BRETT KAVANAUGH THE MAFIA BRIGHTON BEACH BROOKLYN NY DA DARK sign the hacker
😩
Weird how frequently I see comments like this on Vice videos. Almost like Vice actually makes consistently quality content or something.
I feel so bad about the dude who put trust on him.all he wanted was a friend and got backstabbed and that’s how a lot of people are these days
“I just made the lives of the vulnerable more unbearable.”
REAL 😵
Wow! Great interview.
Erstaunlich, dass es wirklich überall praktisch die selbe Sache ist.
Du bist auch überall
Du auch hier ? Wow
Ja und er hat auch so recht. Man hört es von allen Seiten, überall : Ändert die Drogenpolitik.
OPEN MIND And
He sounds like a well read, educated version of Karl Pilkington.
Hahahaha.
Maybe it's Mr Dilkington
So true, ah Northerners😊
Graham??
It ain’t right it sounds about white
He's really smart
And dangerous
kof2002kof many undercovers are sociopaths. It’s their line of work.
@@JaredG6 yup
I can’t even say how much I appreciate a finally honest and open video, even if it’s a truth people are uncomfortable hearing. No one wants to say they enjoy manipulating people and breaking someone’s complete trust for fear of how others will react immediately in this cancel culture world, but it’s comforting to know that honesty and speaking the truth without being immediately criticized might not be dead after all.
Check out Michael Franzese talking to Joe Pistone aka Donnie Brasco
I'm with you on that. He explained probably the thoughts and actions of a great number of policemen, and showed how poorly managed their relationship with drug crime really is just because he let go of trying to make it seem like he was right and truly just laid it out bare. There was no excuse for his actions, simply just him explaining his feelings and where he came to be and what he thinks now that it's all over. Although It's sad to hear about this and know so many others do exactly what he's done with little to no remorse.
His only friend in the world... that hit me in a way I wasn’t expecting.
Same. Imagine befriending someone and trusting them with all your heart, only to find out later that they betrayed you (especially because they’re a cop and all that was fake) 😭
There is only one time that I saw marijuana ruin someones life, it was right after the police sold him some.
UK police at least cannot use that tactic of entrapment. I always found it pretty crazy how US cops can go out and pose as dealers selling single deals to random strangers or pose as prostitutes and the evidence be admissible. Entrapment laws are a good thing in a society so the cops can't do things like that.
@@Stigstigster In the US, cases have been thrown out due to entrapment since the early 1900s. Undercover cops are used to go after suppliers, not buyers.
I love you for this comment.
you get to be a criminal and a junkie, break all of the laws, have all of the fun, with zero legal consequences..... sounds rough
And fat paycheck
And also risk getting caught and dead in an alley if you mess up
Idk what the hell they do in the police department anyway
That’s movie stuff, read the DOJ guidelines on undercover work. Doing drugs or committing or allowing crime in your presence is a termination or could result in charges yourself.
@@liam9214 I dont see how a narc could work undercover w/o allowing/ doing your aforementioned things. I don't think they'd last long.
God how could he bear doing that to people. Absolutely destroying their lives like that person who was in suicide watch because he had lost his only friend. Imagine trying to build any sort of relationship after that
He is so right about helping addicts reduce. Most addicts I've met would love to quit but can't see how they're going to get there especially if they've spent all their money, no longer have a place to live, have abused the trust of their family and friends, cant get help from anyone, only have other drug users as friends. People don't realize how physically hard it is to quit opiates. Withdrawal symptoms really change the way you think.
This man just made his life a whole lot harder.
Yeah but majority of these things are just made up like everything else really ain't they
@@antigov5275 yeah, i dont believe in the government.
@@imranitos2704 Like Santa Claus?
@@mosley3485 haha definately
Power and authority is hell of a drug.
Yes it is.
He is a smart boi. Many people can’t accept what this man just said, regulation is the key to crime reduction and harm reduction.
You can feel the sadness this man has experienced as an officer.
He talks it right. Leagalise it all and crime will drop by shit loads and the prison population will drop by 75%
And they make too much money off it
Profit would also drop by 75%. Sadly, that idea is considered utopian because money is valued more than human life.
Democrats are cunts Your logic makes no sense. Vehicular accidents would go up how? People who use illegal drugs can still get high and drive. Also people who take prescribed drugs can get affected to a point where they cause an accident. Drunk driving and texting while driving is statistically the higher cause of car accidents and/or vehicular homicide.
You should stop getting your information and logic from social media.
@Democrats are cunts It wont. Look at The Netherlands. They are closing prisons.
Democrats are cunts Sadly your feelings aren't supported by fact. Countries that already legalized drugs showed that it works.
What I really liked.. is how he was so brutally honest about enjoying lying and manipulating people. It'd be easy to fake empathy there and say you did feel bad to show you have a heart. But he clearly did not. Honestly the dude might be a sociopath, seeing how he did so well with lying and manipulation and all. Found a career he could excel at.
Just my take on it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I think he does feel bad, he's just not asking for forgiveness. He's letting us judge him.
Mitch S nah not a sociopath, just a person. If you’ve ever lied to get what you wanted or manipulated someone into doing something for you you’d know it feel good, especially if you dislike the person.
Kevin Mathewson take it from me, it comes from a lack of shame and a sense of self righteousness. He doesn’t care if you judge. He didn’t even fully answer the question about remorse or feeling bad.
I agree that he is not ashamed. I don't think he is self-righteous. If he were, he would describe the people he put away in harsher terms. He portrays them in a sympathetic light.
Kevin Mathewson you don’t get it. He doesn’t care about the people he puts away. A total disregard for people in general actually.
Man, drugs have a hand and influence everywhere in our society. No borders or boundaries. It’s a temptation that you can either choose to avoid or not, but they’re always gonna be there.
heartbreaking 😢💔when he says “he thought 💭 i was his only true friend” that is so sad.
Yeah he's honest now i think he realized at that moment that he is not a good person
Excellent content love these kind of intriguing vids
Perfect interview, a great perspective with a genuine person.
That was excellent! Thank you Vice for doing these! Love the war on drugs series too.
“Chasing the Scream” is a fantastic book that explores exactly what he’s talking about, as well as the origins of the war on drugs in the US.
This bonding with witnesses is cruel to be honest..
?
Who are the witnesses? What bonding are you talking about? Are you saying vice talking to these cops is cruel? Or that the cop manipulating the civies is cruel?
thank god the inmates and ex-cons don't have internet vice.
Mad Hadder Oh I’m sure most do. Even McDonalds has free WiFi lol
He’s obviously retired or he wouldn’t be sharing any of this. That or paid actor type
@@janelle009 Well, here's to hoping he is in fact a paid actor because I believe the implication he's implying is a possible
revenge killing(even though the odds of it are low) should they see this, and they won't care if he's retired or not.
CB if you do the smallest amount of research yoy will find that he is NOT an actor and that is actually him.
@@janelle009 Retired or not. A pissed off person, specially an ex con can literally find anyone if they are mad enough & try hard enough. Dude has balls to do this.
Amaizing video! I learned so much. He explains the drug problem very well and the possible solutions. Keep these videos coming, they are great! ❤️😍👏
I've seen the generosity among vulnerable drug addicts, it's startling when you first see it if you've never been in those situations. I couldn't have done what he has, it's hideous, but I agree with him about legalising drugs and the racism.
Wow this man needs to write a book. That story about the guy on suicide watch was heartbreaking
I also did this for a couple years of my Police Career. Going back in uniform was absolutely painful, and little else interested me as much as playing the game of buying dope.
Drug Dealers: “Legalisation? Nah I want it to stay illegal so I can make P”
Government: “Let’s not change a thing”
Great interview!
Sounds like the kind of job that could make a man go mad over time for making so much new friends and then just give them in
From an ex drug dealer & convicted criminal, everything this man said is 100% on point. No argument.
One of the best interviews I've ever seen
The starting dialogue was perfect! The truth!
Lol I love how he’s wearing a windbreaker in the pic classic
This really seems like a guy who deserves an hour or more to tell his story and make his points. I saw that the video was over and thought "well shit . . . "
Great work.
I was a heroin addict for years, and people didn't ever just sport others out when they were sick. It was every man for himself. Period.
Key thing here "when they were sick". The girl who gave him some just got high. People are very nice when high sometimes
Interesting indeed.
Man that would hurt my soul doing undercover work
Great video again vice
MORE PLEASE !!!
This bloke knows exactly what he's talking about.respect.
Finally something good again *vice*
U don't enjoy the white racist guilt content?
because this is a reupload with a different title and different editing
Well said!
the last part was veryyyyy interesting!
Coz it's 187 on an undercover coooop 😀
💀🔫🤣🤣🤣
❤
"I enjoyed manipulating people." That's the mindset of the custodian's of morality in our society.
We live in a society
it really is
Don’t be weak and you won’t be manipulated
He was out to manipulate criminals involved in the drug trade.
He knew he was manipulating criminals. Imagine you were undercover and had to manipulate people who had murdered a relative to find out about who did it, one step at a time. Little victories for justice.
What a breath of fresh air...the truth. Thankyou.
Great video
Great video. The 'fun' thing is that a lot of people point at the Netherlands when they talk about a good drug policy, but actually the crackdowns over here on drug users and dealers may be even harder than in a lot of other countries. It's not legal to posses weed for example, you're just no prosecuted for possession.
I was skeptical at first but this guy has the master plan
Damn these first 10 seconds made me want to watch it more. Crazy how people from the inside exposing stuff that the people on the outside been curious about/had a hunch about for years. Change leads to progress & we need worldly change. 🙏🌍
God bless this man who has changed his views and ways and has laid down such compassionate wisdom all law enforcement and politicians need to listen to.
Welcome back to a new episode of: why is this in my recommended? Quarantine edition
First decent vice post in a while
Refreshing levels of honesty from a police officer
More of this vice 👌
Hes so correct with the whole prison thing, I remember being in jail a few times and leaving with a habit.
Someone watching this video- Hey, he looks familiar!
Chasing the scream - Johann Hari
This book he goes overall of these subjects and more in higher detail. I would recommend it if this interview pricked your mind
Nice to listen to a person with a conscious.
Exactly, No more war on Drugs!!
Guys a trend setter with the man bun in what can only be a guess of the mid 90s
Waaoooo the first sentences that he said earn my respect, this is a very smart guy!!
Wow great intervoew!
I agree 💯and that comes from a heroin addict of 24 years clean today and hopefully every day forward
Well done 😁
He's absolutely right all it does is hurt people little people people struggling prison isn't the place for an addict
First day of undercover cop: buys cocaine*
My brain: YOU HAVE BECOME THE THING YOU SWORE TO DESTROY.
I love his brutal honesty
I remember when a policeman visited our primary school and he said the same about selling controlled substances in say boots, and take the market from organised crime
Watched an interview with this guy on the True Geordie podcast
People really need to listen to this man, he could change so much with truth and experience and it would be a shame to waste him when he could help so many.
This is so honest respect this guy
I used to work in a Police Admin department, in the clubs and bars would see some of my work colleagues working undercover. It was kinda awkward.
I would imagine!
Thought that was the Alchemist in the thumbnail lmao
What a powerful message.
Keep this coming, like the old vice!
How can someone do such a job...
He’s got some guts to do that job, I’d get caught if I did that, I’d trip up on my words and answer to my real name 😂
Wow 😯 😮 🤩 great 👍 interview
Neil Woods books on drugs are some of the best books on British drugs culture about, i was able to ask my mum about what went on at Wigan casino after reading his books, i learned even more about what went on
I agree 100% with what he said about changing the drug laws. If we can make it safe and take money out of the cartels pockets it's a win win
“You have to play a different version of yourself”.
This man seems very intelligent and his honesty on the subject is commendable.
We need more people like this.