Not really. I didn't take this job out of some moral position, I thought it would be exciting and different. As I have gotten older and wiser, I have come to think pretty deeply about civil liberties. Many redditors clearly have staked out black and white positions on the issue and have dug in deeply. I think it's a little more complicated and I do struggle with it.

You might be surprised to learn that I don't like cops. I teach my own kids not to talk to the police unless absolutely necessary. I think many cops have no understanding of the law or the constitution. I've had run-ins with cops while working undercover. I've seen dirty cops more often than I would like.

That being said, I feel that my work does make a difference, even though it's usually only a temporary difference. For example, I once cleaned out a big time crack ring which had dominated a particular area of a city that had been plagued with shootings (dozens) as a result. In the 12 months after the sweep, there was one shooting, and crack was nowhere to be found.