WITNESSES DESERVE EVERY PROTECTION

The provincial government has announced plans to create a witness
protection program in Alberta, a move the province says will help
bring more criminals to justice while at the same time protecting
victims and witnesses.

Much like the existing federal witness protection program, the new
Alberta Witness Security Act is designed, in part, to entice witnesses
to testify in court without fear of retaliation.

"There is intimidation, there is that threat that if a person does
decide to testify that there could be a consequence and I think that's
what we understand to be the case," said Justice Minister Alison Redford.

"We think that this will assist people who want to make some changes
in their lives to do that."

With organized criminals, including gangs, continuing to make inroads
into Alberta's urban and, sadly, rural communities, any move that will
help put more of the bad guys behind bars, while at the same time
helping police do their jobs, is very welcome news.

Most criminal prosecutions, whether it's for drug trafficking,
assaults or other crimes of violence, depend on witness testimony.
Witnesses provide juries and judges with the facts they need to reach
fair and unbiased decisions, representing a key and fundamental part
of the justice system.

If, however, those same witnesses are reluctant to testify out of fear
for their personal safety or the safety of their families, then the
criminals are able to make a mockery of the justice system - and that
serves nobody's interest, except that of the guilty.

If this new witness protection program helps to better protect
witnesses while at the same time taking away retaliation as a tool
used by criminals to avoid justice, then law-abiding citizens across
the province will benefit in the short and long term.

"What police in Alberta have told us is that very often in those
circumstances when they're dealing with those retaliations that if
they could just reduce the heat in the situation, that that will be
very effective for them in their ability to investigate these sorts of
crimes," said Minister Redford.

While many of the Stelmach government's current plans, including in
the areas of health care and education, are anything but universally
accepted, the Tories should be applauded for this effort to better
protect victims and other people who witness crime.

Hopefully MLAs from all parties will put aside their differences in
this case and make sure the Witness Security Act becomes law during
the current sitting of the legislature.

Getting this new law on the books will send the right message: that
witnesses will be protected and that criminals will get what's coming
to them.