Cutting the Suffolk County District Attorney’s witness protection budget handicaps the process of capturing and prosecuting criminals, especially major crimes including homicides both unsolved or future crimes.
For the third consecutive year, lawmakers put aside only level funding for a program to protect witnesses that provide crucial information to help resolve murders and some other major crimes.
This funding covers hotels, moving or other cost for witnesses that have come forward to help law enforcement capture violent criminals and hopefully look them up for whatever the law calls for.
The witness protection funds mean no witnesses are left in fear, thus attracting more of them to cooperate in the program that is currently operating with limited funds.
Additional funds will enhance law enforcement’s ability to secure information and take action on homicides and benefit Boston murder investigations like the hundreds of backlog cases.
Many prosecutors have worked hard to get a witness protection program in Boston which started in 2006.
Now the program needs to be properly funded to continue to protect witnesses and place the bad guys behind bars.