Here is a an interesting article on some problems Illinois seem to be having around setting up a witness protection program. The first observation I would make is that the Gov. J.B. Pritzker seems to have come up with a realistic amount of money for such a program to be effective. Witness protection is not a one way bus ticket out of town. My second observation is programs of this type are never easy especially if you are starting from ground zero.

There are three things that are essential.

1. Legal and procedural frameworks that explicitly state how the program is managed. If the law dealing with who and how a person is admitted to the program is not made clear in legislation it leads to the risk that the scheme rapidly runs into problems . Legislation needs to be accompanied by strict and detailed procedures around every aspect of the management of the scheme and the management of those admitted to it. These must include the criteria for admission and instructions as to how risks are to be assessed, documented and managed. The procedures must allow for different levels of protection based on the level of risk to the person. Procedures are likely to run to hundred plus pages if everything is to be covered properly.

2. Training for all officers involved in the program. Everyone involved in the administration of the scheme needs proper training. There is a lot to know and it is not just for those in face to face contact with the protected persons. Managers need training as to how to identify those suitable for such a scheme and those who may bring too much risk.

3. Purpose built software to ensure that all records are kept accurately. There are a huge number of records associated with a witness protection program. These must be kept securely and to an evidential standard. Unless software has been designed for witness protection you are just creating more risk ( and probably wasting money to build it yourself)

If you need any help in regard to witness protection please get in touch. You don’t have to do this alone. We have the expertise and we can advise on everything you need. We can write your procedures, provide your training and the software you need . Email info@hsmtraining.com or call +44 7739 370 969