According to my book, some people believe that when investigators do things like sting operations or bait operations, they are inciting people to commit a crime or trap them . A sting operation is basically when a detective or officer pretends to be an undercover criminal and gives others the opportunity to commit a crime. For example, suppose Agent Smith participates in a sting operation and gives Mr. Andrews (a known drug dealer) the opportunity to sell him marijuana, if Mr. Andrews accepts the offer because he thinks Agent Smith is a normal person, he will be arrested. One of the main purposes of these operations is to help create a sense of omnipresence, meaning that people will feel like there is always a possibility of being caught if they are committing a crime because there could always be an officer present somewhere. part. Agents also use these methods as a deterrent mechanism so that criminals who are likely to be discovered by undercover agents are less likely to continue their work. These tactics are incredible for helping catch criminals in the act, but when does a simple sting investigation turn into a trap? According to Bruce Hay's article, "The theory behind using a sting for informational purposes is that it works like a test," meaning that if a person is willing to commit a mock crime, they are likely to also commit a real crime.