Witness protection

Witness protection is for people whose safety may be at risk because they helped the police or the courts. Protectees can be:

• victims
• compromised informants
• police agents
• independent witnesses who receive threats

People in the program can be from anywhere in Canada, or even abroad. The protection can also extend to members of their family.

The program is available to:

• all law enforcement agencies across Canada
• foreign agencies
• federal security, defence and safety organizations

Note

If you believe you are in danger due to your assistance to law enforcement or your role as a witness to a crime, please contact your local police.

Details of the program

Before entering the program, participants must be aware of the following guiding principles:

• Participation is voluntary
• Participation is for life, if required (only limited financial support provided)
• Participation is not a reward for testimony
• Protectees' existing legal and financial obligations will remain

Focus on protectees

The program supports protectees by:

• Ensuring their safety
• Addressing their needs (counselling, addiction treatment, etc.)
• Helping them become self-sufficient
• Providing protective measures as necessary, including:
  • Short-term measures such as immediate responses to potential threats
  • Long-term measures such as relocation, change of identity, counselling, and financial support

  Even if a witness does not formally enter the program, there may be alternate methods of protection available.

  Independent and separate from investigations

  The program has a dedicated staff and a separate reporting structure. This:

  • keeps the program independent from the investigative arm of the RCMP
  • avoids any inappropriate influence on program decisions
  • ensures that protection of individuals is the priority

  Standard and common service

  All protectees receive the same level of service from the program. The program offers services tailored to each witness's circumstance.

  The RCMP's role

  The RCMP administers the federal Witness Protection Program as directed in the Witness Protection Program Act.

  We have full-time, dedicated witness protection units spread out across Canada. Specially trained RCMP officers lead these units.

  Reporting on program operations

  The Program must report on operations to the Minister of Public Safety via the Witness Protection Program Annual Report. The federal Witness Protection Program Advisory Committee also provides an annual report to the Commissioner of the RCMP. This report advises the Commissioner on matters related to the program.