Civilian snitches are people who are not part of an adversary's security force, but who would inform the adversary if they saw something suspicious.
For example, a civilian snitch who witnesses a crime and identifies with the State is likely to call the police, provide a description of the suspect(s), and may even follow the suspects until the police intervene or become a witness in a criminal investigation.
Used in tactics: Deterrence, Incrimination
Mitigations
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Anonymous dress | By dressing anonymously, you can prevent civilians from providing a description of you that would be valuable to an adversary. |
| Attack | If a citizen follows you after an action, you can scare them off with threats or pepper spray. If a citizen tries to call the police, you can destroy their phone. |
| Careful action planning | Acting at night or in areas with minimal foot traffic minimizes witnesses, and a lookout can report the presence of any witnesses as soon as they are noticed. Beware of balconies and windows overlooking the scene. |
Used in repressive operations
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Belarusian anarcho-partisans | While trying to cross the Belarusian-Ukrainian border, the anarchists stopped at a shop about 10 kilometers from the border. A shopkeeper called the border guards on them, which led directly to their arrest. |
| 2019-2020 case against Mónica and Francisco | The saleswoman of the cell phone store where Mónica bought a phone that was used as part of the 2020 action, when questioned by investigators, gave a description of a person that the investigators matched to Mónica[1]. |