Police psychics have so saturated popular culture that the concept borders on the cliche. There was a time, however, when the Department of Justice took the matter very seriously - not only were instances reported of the police using psychics, there were studies on the matter, and even guidance issued by the DOJ.

When it comes to combining sensitive intelligence collection and domestic law enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration trains its agents that there are four methods that the American public smile on. Interestingly, the DEA refuses to say what one of those methods is, much less what it entails.

The DEA’s training guides on parallel construction emphasize the risks and rewards of using sensitive intelligence information in domestic law enforcement, as well as the methods available to agents eager to obscure the source of their investigative leads.