What sort of people become informants for money?

Question

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/pressass/20080724/tuk-the-met-paid-2m-to-informants-6323e80.html

Is it your civil duty to report a crime or should you only grass for the readies??

Answer 1

Why, are you thinking of ratting on Zebedee?

Answer 2

to give the police information of your own free will with out strings attactched is your civic dutie, to get payment for it makes you a RAT

Answer 3

A lot of informants will be shady characters themselves, not big on public duty or morality who seize the chance to grass up a bigger fish and make a few bob.

What about reporters on Yahoo who "grass" people up for breaking Yahoo law. What sort of people are they? They don´t even get paid.

Answer 4

People who are disgruntled.

Answer 5

<------------------------ this one ! x

Answer 6

The type of people who have traded jail time for a life of informing basically those in the last chance saloon with the authorities :)

Answer 7

People who can do the crime but not the time.

Answer 8

Traffic Wardens and Policemen.

Answer 9

We had a word for that pre PC, it was called RAT! and the only good rat is  dead rat.

Answer 10

Hey - in this economy I think a lot of people would say yes to that proposition!

Answer 11

drug addicts

the police offer them money for information they know the drug addict knows. they know these people are desperate for cash and are willing to sing like a birdie