National Protection Consultants, Inc. Press for Change in Baltimore City Witness Protection Program

Baltimore is a city in crisis with over 300-plus violent crime deaths a year. City leaders do very little to improve and/or provide adequate services to protect crime victims and witnesses against retaliation. DiTanya S. Madden, Founder, President and CEO of National Protection Consultants, Inc. seeks local, State and/or Federal support in implementing "Operation Safe Witness", a non-profit initiative designed to uplift and empower the urban community.

BALTIMORE (PRWEB) March 10, 2004 -– A victim or witness often serves as the most critical resource the justice system depends on to get the worst criminals off the streets. Sadly, too often the justice system treats those victims and witnesses as tools, rather than human beings. Baltimore City officials do not want to admit the serious challenge they face: that the current “security” program for victims and witnesses is anything but secure, and neither protects nor adequately assists; it’s basically non-existent. Change is absolutely crucial.

With a population of less than 700,000 and well over 300 violent crime deaths per year, Baltimore is a city in crisis. “One might think with 300-plus murders a year, dozens of which gather dust in the police departments “cold case unit” [a division charged with unsolved cases” there would be a large number of witnesses in the city’s infamous protection program willing to assist law enforcement officials. Unfortunately, says DiTanya Madden, the former Witness Security Coordinator for the Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office, “that just isn’t the case”.

“Most will not come forward for fear of retaliation,” says Madden, who is now the Founder, President and CEO of National Protection Consultants, Inc., a firm responsible for the implementation of “Operation Safe Witness”, a non-profit criminal justice initiative designed to assist victims, witnesses and protection programs nationwide.

In a February 9, 2004 Baltimore Sun article , Wes Adams, a homicide prosecutor in the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, says “that in 90 percent of his cases, witnesses are afraid to testify or they lie on the stand.”

Witness Protection Program in Crisis / Add One

Retaliation is a major concern. In October 2002, it’s reported that 36-year-old Angela Dawson, her husband and their five school-age children were killed when their home was firebombed as a retaliatory attack because they stood up to drug dealers in their East Baltimore neighborhood. Prior to the arson attack, the family was hostage to repeated harassment and attacks from neighborhood drug dealers. All too often victims and witnesses, like the Dawsons, are forced to suffer psychological, financial and physical hardship as a result of the crimes they experience or incidents they witness and a justice system inadequate to assist them.

Governor Robert Ehrlich announced that he will introduce legislation to more specifically target witness threats, but the system and those left to administer services that would protect the Dawsons and other witnesses like them, is in need of improvements. “Witnesses should be afforded an option with respect to their safety and well-being. The daunting task should not be left to administrative personnel possessing very little if any expertise in the field. We are talking about human life,” Madden stated.

“For more than seven years crime victims and witnesses have been protected on a wing and a prayer. We are calling for dramatic change in the witness protection program here in Maryland and other states struggling with similar difficulty,” Madden insists. “One can only imagine the degree of stress and pressure, not to mention the conflicting interest, under which detectives are forced to operate-simultaneously investigating cases and facilitating protection for their witnesses. Given Commissioner Clark’s position and the extent of his hands-on involvement with his officers, I’m certain he’s well aware of the sensitive issues involved with witness protection – for example, where something like providing cab fare for a witness can raise ethical concerns and quite possibly jeopardize the integrity of the case,” says Madden

New legislation will improve the capabilities of prosecutors and the police, agrees Madden, but starting a public debate about the failing witness protection program will encourage new ideas to make witnesses safer, and consequently more willing to cooperate in law enforcement investigations. “There are dangerous pitfalls of witness protection services that law enforcement professionals as well as prosecutors can avoid without risking lives or shrinking the base of witnesses eligible for protection,” says Madden.

“With a humanistic alternative to the Baltimore City Witness “Security” Program, Baltimore City and urban communities alike will see more witnesses coming forward and more crimes being solved,” says Madden. “But most of all, citizens, victims and witnesses will feel safer knowing that there is a system equipped to address the real needs of crime victims, especially those witnesses we depend on so much.” That’s Madden’s goal.

National Protection Consultants, Inc.

For more information, contact:

DiTanya Madden

410-258-9831 / info@natprocon.org / www.natprocon.org