What are the response strategies for addressing witness intimidation?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The following response strategies provide a foundation for addressing witness intimidation.

(1) Form multi-agency partnerships. The appropriate party to address the threat of witness intimidation may change as a case moves through the criminal justice system.
(2) Strengthen ties between police and the community. Fostering cooperation of reluctant witnesses is a natural extension of community policing and community prosecution, which focus on engaging residents in preventing and responding to crime.
(3) Minimize the risk of witness identification when reporting crime or offering statements. This is particularly true in neighborhoods where communitywide intimidation is a factor and residents may hesitate to cooperate with police at the scene of a crime, because they fear being labeled as an informant or a "rat." As a result, methods for reporting crime or offering witness statements that do not make cooperation obvious to observers are sometimes needed.
(4) Reduce the likelihood of contact between witnesses and offenders. Most often, acts of intimidation are committed at a witness's home, workplace, or school, or during the normal course of the witness's daily activities. Minimizing the opportunities and avenues by which witnesses come into contact with offenders can reduce the incidence of intimidation.
(5) Transport witnesses to and from work and school. Many witnesses feel vulnerable when traveling to and from work or school, or while attending to their business in the community. Police escorts during these times can deter offenders from making contact. However, such protection schemes consume significant police resources and may not be feasible for broad application.
(6) Keep witnesses and defendants separated at the courthouse. Other than at home, witnesses are most often intimidated in the courthouse, both while waiting to testify and while in the courtroom giving testimony. Not only must witnesses endure a face-to-face encounter with the defendant, but they may also be apprehensive about contact with the defendant's family and friends.
(7) Relocate witnesses. Because it is unusual for offenders to travel outside their neighborhoods to intimidate witnesses, simply moving a witness to another location may effectively protect him or her from harm.