Witness squad set up
PA Auckland The Auckland police have launched New Zealand’s first permanent witness protection squad. Crown witnesses in big criminal cases who are threatened or in danger will now be guarded by a specially trained team of 13 detectives. The same police officers already act as V.I.P. escorts, protecting visiting politicians and dignitaries. The witness-watching job has previously been handled by officers working directly on an investigation. It has been handed over to the centrally based squad, previously known as the crime control unit, because the police wanted a consistent approach to witness protection, said Detective Superintendent Ron Chadwick, who oversees their work.
i Details of the squad’s work are kept secret to ensure the success of protection programmes. It is believed it sometimes includes shifting key , witnesses to safe houses, particularly in gangrelated cases where the risk of intimidation and threats is high.
[ In other parts of New Zealand, special protection squads are set up from time to time if needed for a particular investigation.
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Press, 8 April 1988, Page 1
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169Witness squad set up Press, 8 April 1988, Page 1
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