# Do police carry radios while on witness protection service?



## ironpony (Jan 4, 2020)

If the police are protecting a witness in a case, do they carry radios with them, where the would hear every dispatch, or do they just carry cell phones only in that situation?


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## CyberWar (Jan 4, 2020)

It wouldn't be much of a witness protection service if details like that were disclosed to the general public, would it?


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## ironpony (Jan 4, 2020)

No, but are details being disclosed to the general public in this case?  Would he still be provided with a radio to hear what is going on around him, just in case?  Plus, wouldn't he have to report in every so often on the status?


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## CyberWar (Jan 4, 2020)

Most people on witness protection don't get a 24/7 police protection, they just get transferred to new residences confidentially, are assigned new identities and instructed about the do's and don'ts to keep themselves safe. In most cases that is quite enough. The kind of witnesses that would require full-time armed protection do not appear often. When it does happen, the procedures (which are understandably not made public knowledge) are likely not much different from an ordinary VIP bodyguard detail.

The first and foremost defense of a VIP protection team are clear and well-rehearsed extraction procedures, which the protection detail will often rehearse extensively together with the VIP. The ability to call for backup is a nice perk to have, but one that isn't necessary going to be helpful.  Any VIP protection detail's absolute priority is the survival of the VIP. In the event of SHTF, their first and foremost efforts will be focused on extracting the VIP out of danger zone as fast as possible. The ability to call for backup will only become useful in a situation when the escort team is pinned down and unable to extract on their own, which is essentially the worst possible scenario on a VIP protection job.

So, to answer your questions with all that being said:

1. The protection team would definitely have encrypted tactical radios for talking between themselves and any on-site technical support (drivers, surveillance staff, etc.) they might have. However, they would not be tuned in to the unencrypted general-purpose police frequencies because a) listening to the regular comms traffic would be distracting; b) conversing on an unencrypted channel could compromise their own safety; c) handling electronic surveillance is not their job (or they have dedicated staff posted for that express purpose).

2. Any VIP important enough to merit his own security operation would most likely have the head of security on site or close by, personally supervising the operation, staff reporting to him as directed. This keeps the number of people in the loop down to a minimum, reducing the potential of intentional or accidental information leaks, and allows to eschew the use of notoriously unsecure electronic communications that can be intercepted and traced.

3. If the whole protection detail's mission is to keep the VIP from being found and harmed, cellphones are a big no-no, being easily jammed or traced.


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## Ralph Rotten (Jan 4, 2020)

It depends a lot on who is providing the witness protection.

PS: Encrypted radios make a squawk sound when they first key up.


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## ironpony (Jan 5, 2020)

Oh okay.  Well the way I wrote it is that the police are protecting the witness just for a few days until the preliminary hearing, where further action will be decided after that, if that works.

It was suggested to me by some readers though that I should make the main character the one protecting the witness though, because then the main character is in more on the action.  However, the main character is also one of the investigators in the case.  Would it be a conflict of interest for an investigator in the case to be one of the officers in the witness protection?


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## CyberWar (Jan 5, 2020)

The investigator protecting the witness has been done often enough in the movies. I don't think your average reader would really care that much about every tiny bit of detail as long as it was an exciting read.


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## ironpony (Jan 5, 2020)

Okay thanks.  I don't recall any movies where the main character is doing both jobs of investigator and witness protector.  It seems to me that legally that could be interpreted as witness tampering perhaps, but as long as the reader does not see it that way...


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## Amnesiac (Jan 5, 2020)

Hrmmm... "The Bodyguard" comes immediately to mind. Whitney Houston, Kevin Costner...


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## ironpony (Jan 5, 2020)

Amnesiac said:


> Hrmmm... "The Bodyguard" comes immediately to mind. Whitney Houston, Kevin Costner...



Oh I haven't seen that one I don't think, but I could check it out.


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## Olly Buckle (Jan 5, 2020)

Does it suit your plot for them to or not?

If it suits, of course they do, they may not be meant to, but what real cop would be without a radio when he needed it?

If it doesn't suit you, then of course they don't, the gun makes enough of a bulge under their arm, they don't want everyone to suss the character has a cop hanging around, so even if they were supposed to they wouldn't carry it, an iPhone is more than enough to call for help on.


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## ironpony (Jan 5, 2020)

It suits my plot for the cop not to have a radio actually.  Well basically I just don't want him making progress reports, cause I want him to be taken hostage, but do not want the police knowing he was, but as long as the reader buys that he would not check in every hour or so.


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## Olly Buckle (Jan 8, 2020)

Even if he had a radio I wouldn't see him checking in every hour, Why should he if he didn't want anything? And if they wanted him they would call. Let him put it down carelessly in the other room and the hostage takers switch it off if you think he would have one as standard. Why carry it about in the house after all? Police are incredibly careless about things like that, they are used to being in charge and listened to, not taking precautions.


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## Foxee (Jan 8, 2020)

Olly Buckle said:


> *Police are incredibly careless about things like that*, they are used to being in charge and listened to, not taking precautions.


Maybe UK police are different but I don't have that view of police at all. First, they are professionals so painting them all with the same negative brush doesn't really make sense any more than saying all office workers are the same, all chefs are the same, or all teachers are the same. Second, there is an accounting of what they do, they are always reporting to someone (not on radios, I mean written reports) which means that their responsibilities would be in mind for, "How am I going to explain this if it all goes bad?"


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## ironpony (Jan 8, 2020)

Olly Buckle said:


> Even if he had a radio I wouldn't see him checking in every hour, Why should he if he didn't want anything? And if they wanted him they would call. Let him put it down carelessly in the other room and the hostage takers switch it off if you think he would have one as standard. Why carry it about in the house after all? Police are incredibly careless about things like that, they are used to being in charge and listened to, not taking precautions.



Oh I thought he would have to report in every so often just to show that he and the witness he is protecting are still alive and nothing has happened.  How long should be take to report in, before the police department starts to become suspicious do you think?


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## Amnesiac (Jan 8, 2020)

In my experience, everyone stays off the radios as much as possible, because everyone on duty is working: Running plates, checking ID's, asking about outstanding warrants, etc. For a cop to radio in and say, "All is well!" Yeah... That doesn't happen. Ever. Dispatch and call centers are VERY busy. Increasingly, (and especially when you don't want something going out over the airwaves to every Tom, Dick, and Harry with a police scanner), a lot of police are just texting or calling on a cell phone. 

Your mileage may vary. This is just what I've seen and experienced. Hope it helps.


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## Olly Buckle (Jan 8, 2020)

Okay, point taken, and no I don't suppose UK police are so different in some ways. But as you say it takes all sorts, so if you need an authoritarian, shortsighted one for a story it is reasonably plausible it is reasonable to make him let his guard slip, such things do happen.


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## Amnesiac (Jan 8, 2020)

Also, when on duty, I carried a radio on my "bat belt," but I had an earpiece and a clip-on mic, so I never had to remove the radio from my belt. This may not serve the story, though... I know that for me and for every other deputy I worked with, we were VERY careful about our equipment, because "out there" our equipment was our only source of getting back-up and defending ourselves, if need be.


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## Amnesiac (Jan 8, 2020)

The scariest scene I've ever seen, was in the movie, "Training Day," where the rookie is left high and dry with a houseful of cop-haters. The tension, sense of menace, and the fear in that scene.... It was really well written and well acted.


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## ironpony (Jan 8, 2020)

That scene in Training Day always frustrated me cause I didn't think that he would give his gun to the others to look at.  I'm sure if I asked a cop to see his gun and hold it, he/she would say Hell, No!, unless I am wrong and Training Day is more realistic there?

But for my story, if it's normal for cops to stay off their radios, how long before the police would be asking questions, like where is this guy, and why hasn't he radioed in for so long?


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## Amnesiac (Jan 8, 2020)

Of course I would never turn my weapon over to anyone. Ever. I don't know any of my fellow deputies who would. This is an example of something unrealistic setting the stage for a major plot point, though. Even though the scenario is unrealistic, the terror and tension are done very well, indeed.


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## ironpony (Jan 8, 2020)

Oh okay, I thought that the Training Day scene could still be written better, cause instead of giving up his gun willingly, perhaps someone could just sneak up behind him and press a pistol against his head, telling him to slowly take out his gun and drop it, and maybe that would be more realistic?

But I see what you mean that maybe only make it realistic, when it's convenient for the plot, and take dramatic license, when you have to?


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## Amnesiac (Jan 8, 2020)

Yep. You know, if it serves your plot to have the cop/deputy haul out the "brick" and speak into it, maybe back it up and set it in the late 80's. Or just... wing that part of it. Like I was saying about, "Crossing Jordan," previously: There is so much truth in it, especially from a medical standpoint, and then, from a procedural standpoint, there's so much that's complete Hollywood fabrication, but no one really minds because the story is good, and it's 90% of the way there, so the occasional _blip_ is forgiven.


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## ironpony (Jan 8, 2020)

Well it helps my script for him to be taken hostages for a few yours at least, but not to have his superiors know about for those few hours, but is that believable enough, that there would be no checking up?


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## Moose.H (Jan 9, 2020)

I think it depends on how badly you messed up and the enemy you have made and the last issue is how mad is that enemy. Does he want to bribe you, break a few fingers or would he only be satisfied in extreme prejudice to the whole community.


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