Informant Signals

Below is an updated list of some of the signals that I have observed the informants using over the years. It's not a complete list, but it should help get the average person started in snitch speak.

Remember the actual terms might not be exact, but this is a general gist of what they use the signals to convey. These were picked up over the last few years, on the streets. I have spent hours watching, researching.

A lot of this was picked up as I was being tortured in my home. I would go out and watch them, part of the biggest problem in the beginning was figuring out how they were communicating, how the message were being passed, how they were coordinating to harass me.

If you have read the blog, I have discussed, the fact that their is often a conductor who the snitches look to, they are also given instructions. Eg. Circle the target, they always want the target in a square. They always want to be on all four sides to feel like they are guarding the target.

Some are brilliant at passing signals, some are horrible. You learn a lot from the horrible ones. The signals are passed in different ways culturally. I have blogged about this before. When I was just watching them and learning their language it was fascinating to watch as people from this culture passed a signal in this way, vs another that way.

Eg. The squeezing the nose to indicate I understand it passed by some by putting the hand up the nose. Very gross, but very interesting. Culturally just like with any language, or variation of accents, the signals also have their own distinctions. Eg. I first saw someone of Spanish decent explaining that where they were from they used the center of the forehead, not the hand over the eyes.


I was fascinated by the fact that this must have been ongoing for some time, but I never had a clue. I was disgusted and nauseated to discover that on a daily basis most of the people around me, knew this language. It meant they were informants, citizens of the state, and thus not on my side. Still it was interesting to learn.

There is so much more to how they function, but I am disgusted by the stupidity I see. I think to understand them, you had to have some fascination or appreciation of how they functioned, I don't think I will ever have that again, but maybe someday, someone else will.


1. Open Communication.

#Yawning and placing the hand over the mouth, or taking a drink to open communications

The most common signal that I have observed the informants using is their open communication signal.

This can be done in a variety of ways, but the most common way is to take a sip of water or drink from any container.

The open communication signal can also be conveyed via, pretending to yawn, or by putting the hand over the mouth.


They use this signal to engage other informants in the communication process.

There are other ways to pass this signal but this is the basics for now.


#Car patrols will flash their lights to open communication with foot patrols

When an informant is on foot, the cars will flash lights to open communication. In the Targeted Individual Community it was thought that this was just being used at night to annoy targets, but flashing the lights is used to identify themselves to their foot patrols.




2. Coughing


This signal is not only used to harass targets, but it's also their way of getting the attention of other snitches.

Eg. If an informant is not paying attention and you want to begin the open communication process you can cough, clear the throat. Then you will usually see other communication between the informants.


3. On Watch

# Rubbing or touching the eyes or corners of the eyes or placing on glasses indicating you are on watch.

This is the signal that you will see informants use most often. They will do this in a variety of ways.

The basic way of indicating this is done by placing one hand over the eyes.

You can also just rub one eye or the other.

They will use eye glasses, sun glasses, by placing them on the face it indicates the same thing.

A new way of doing this is by also rubbing the center of the forehead, where your third eye would be if you had one.


#In some cities headphone are also used to indicate that Informants are on patrol


4. I don't understand


Pulling on the ear. Seems to indicate that the receiver has not understood what the sender has said.


5. I know.

#Briefly tapping or squeezing the nose, indicates that you understand.

You will see this quite often and it's their way of indicating that they know, or that they understand.

# The double blink to indicate understanding etc.

If their hands are full, or they can not pass a signal any other way, this can also be used to indicate understanding.

6. At Rest

This is done by placing the hand to the side of the head. The thinking mans pose. It seems to indicate that the informants are at rest, no action is happening.


7. Stop Signalling/Communication

This is done by placing the index finger to the lips, and making a semi circle. or clasp motion. They stop communication and go silent when this signal is given.


8. Greeting.

When out in public, they brush their hair back three times, but this is done at the back of the neck not at the front. It seems to be a greeting to help identify them with each other yet again.


9. What's happening, What's going on.


# Brushing back the front hair 3 times



10. Directional signals.

Eg. When out in public they will often tell each other to walk left right, etc, with the nose. Eg. The index finger below the nose to the left would tell the other informant to go left. To the right would tell the other informant to go right.

They might also use these directional signal to indicate the direction of the target that is on watch, but by doing so with the eyes. (This needs confirmation)