Witness Protection
West Midlands Police are committed to supporting people who have witnessed a crime. We use a range of different methods to protect these people. How we protect them depends on the level of threat to the witness.
There are many things that the police might do help protect witnesses. For example we may install attack alarms and CCTV camera surveillance at the home of the witness, to help protect the property.
When witnesses go to court, they may be able to give evidence behind screens, have their voices distorted and details that might identify them withheld. The court may agree to this if the level of threat is believed to be serious enough.
The Witness Anonymity Act 2008 means that police can still protect witnesses identity at court in this way, and directs the circumstances in which these methods can be used.
If the threat to the witness is more severe, and the above tactics are not enough to protect them, West Midlands Police have a dedicated team who are responsible for protecting witnesses and other people subject of threats.
This involves a number of tactics that might include the witness being re-located from their addresses and given support in establishing them in a new location. These methods of dealing with the threat are only used in the most extreme circumstances, after extensive assessment by all parties involved.