History Main / WitlessProtectionProgram

The [[WitnessProtection Witness Protection Program]] serves to, well, protect witnesses to crimes in order to prevent perpetrators from... [[LeaveNoWitnesses cleaning up after themselves]], in a way. To put it simply, in case the perp has ideas to eliminate the witnesses in question, the Witness Protection Program will take those witnesses and officially alter all their records and form new identities plus have them move to another location in order to make them virtually impossible to track by the offenders. In RealLife, the program tends to be fairly successful in granting these people the security they need because there are multiple levels of protection and doesn't have to be a new identity, such as adding restrictions on who can read normally public records. But in fiction...that's another story.

* In ''Series/TheMentalist'' episode "Red Sauce", the VictimOfTheWeek is a mobster in Witness Protection after testifying against his boss. [[spoiler:His wife did it because [[YourCheatingHeart he cheated]] after she gave up everything for him.]]

** After witnessing a jewel heist, Abby and Maddie Parker (along with their parents) are placed in the FBI's Witness Protection Program. Unfortunately for the FBI, they end up having to constantly relocate the Parkers due to the twins being (self-admittedly) "blabbermouths" who keep blowing their cover. The twins and their parents are eventually placed in Sydney, Australia, where Abby and Maddie actually do a pretty good job of finally keeping their mouths. Unfortunately, the criminals who committed the jewel heist do find the girls in Australia, but they're ultimately apprehended by the authorities, finally giving Abby, Maddie and their parents the chance to go back home to America.

* ''VisualNovel/WitnessABodyguardRomance'' has this in spades. The main character, Niamh, witnesses [[UnholyMatrimony the husband and wife duo]] who are also the leaders of TheIrishMob murder an innocent man and is placed in witness protection. The problem is, A) her assigned bodyguard is the man/women she slept with the previous night (which would compromise their position if their boss found out) and B) the duo who ''would'' be after her Niamh's blood if they even knew she was there ''didn't even see her''.

* ''Our Lips Are Sealed'', a direct-to-video movie starring the Olsen Twins, has this (along with WitnessProtection) as the main premise--Mary-Kate (playing Maddie Parker) and Ashley (playing Abby Parker) are twin sisters who witness a jewel heist and are placed in the Witness Protection Program. Unfortunately for the WPP, the girls (who are, self-admittedly, "blabbermouths") are unable to keep their mouths shut about them being in the WPP (and at one point, when they were forced to go undercover as Amish in Utah, they ''deliberately'' broke their cover by shouting to everyone within hearing distance that they were in the Witness Protection Program). After a FailureMontage, WPP finally went "screw this" and placed the Parkers in ''Australia'', with the explicit warning that the girls screw up ''this'' time, the Program will just wash their hands and let them suffer whatever comes (up to and including getting killed by the criminals they're hiding from).
** In the end, while the criminals ''do'' find Abby and Maddie in Australia, they're caught by the authorities and the Parkers are given the chance to finally return home to the United States. However, the girls ultimately choose to stay in Australia while revealing their true identities to their friends, now that the danger is finally over for them.

* ''Series/InPlainSight'' zig-zags with this trope, many times the protection's secrecy breaking because of the witnesses being TooDumbToLive (or something else happens, like a recording where one appears becoming a [=YouTube=] sensation), and sometimes because of inner leaks or because the bad guys are ''that'' much of an example of the ImplacableMan.

* ''Film/{{Bullitt}}'' begins with Lt. Frank Bullitt and two other cops put on guard detail for Johnny Ross, who embezzled from the mob and [[TheStoolPigeon is now testifying against the mob]] in exchange for immunity and witness protection. Ross acts like he doesn't understand how much danger he's in, and when he unchains his hotel room door, two hitmen burst in and fatally shoot him. Bullitt smells a rat and investigates further, hoping to prove Ross's death didn't result from his department's negligence. [[spoiler:He finds out that Johnny Ross set it all up to fake his own death and disappear. The murdered "witness" was actually Albert Renick, a lookalike who the real Ross tricked into taking his place. And Ross was the one who tipped off the mob hitmen on which hotel to find him at.]]

* ''Series/InPlainSight'' zig-zags with this trope, many times the protection's secrecy breaks because of the witnesses being TooDumbToLive (or something else happens, like a recording where one appears becoming a [=YouTube=] sensation), and sometimes because of inner leaks or because the bad guys are ''that'' much of an example of the ImplacableMan.

* ''Series/InPlainSight'' zig-zags with this trope, many times the protection's secrecy breaking because of the witnesses being TooDumbToLive (or something else happens, like a recording where one appears becoming a [=YouTube=] sensation), and sometimes because of inner leaks or because the bad guys are ''that'' much of an example of the ImplacableMan.

* Parodied in ''Film/OsmosisJones'' - at one point the crew visits the Chicken Pox virus who says they are in the virus protection program. This is actually a case of ShownTheirWork - the virus that chases Chicken Pox actually ''does'' lie dormant within your nerves after infection. At the age Frank is, it's very unlikely that he was vaccinated against Chicken Pox, thus he would have a dormant virus.

* ''"Our Lips Are Sealed"'' is an Olsen Twins movie in which the sisters' characters have witnessed a Mafia crime and are placed in Witness Protection. Unfortunately for the Program, the girls' attempts at sticking to their faked identities is a total EpicFail (and even in one point, they broke cover by shouting out to a crowd that they were in Witness Protection because they ''really'' didn't like the fact that they were assigned to an Amish community). And so after a FailureMontage, Witness Protection finally went "screw this" and placed them in ''Australia'', with the explicit warning that if they screw up ''this'' time, the Program will just wash their hands and let them suffer whatever comes (up to and including getting killed by the Mafia).

In fiction, if someone is placed under witness protection, they might as well have just pasted a huge "KILL ME" sign on their back because chances are [[RuleOfDrama that character is going down]], courtesy of the perpetrator in spite of all the odds. Exactly how the bad guy finds these people regardless of all their records being virtually erased is rarely ever brought up. Perhaps the perp had some help [[InsideJob from the inside]]? Or maybe the perp has [[StockSuperpowers supernatural abilities]] that aided their search. Or perhaps they just happen to be a ScarilyCompetentTracker. Whatever the case, [[TheDeterminator they will find a way to get to these witnesses]], government protection be damned.

Sometimes, the witness will be lucky enough to survive the inevitable attempt on their life (usual reason being them being a [[PlotArmor main character]]), but that still means the witness protection failed; the perp found them anyway. Fortunately, should the witness survive, what usually follows is either the bad guy getting killed and the witness being able to return to their old identity (which isn't possible in RealLife witness protection), or the bad guy becoming incarcerated, which usually only [[WeWillMeetAgain delays their inevitable return]].

* Averted in ''Manga/DetectiveConan'', there is a character called Jodie Starling who changed her name from Starling to Saintemillion due to this actress named Vermouth killing her parents and searching for Jodie. Jodie initially rejected the offer of Witness Protection by the FBI, but then changed her mind and it helped protect her. What changed her mind was making a promise with James Black to look for her parent's killer when she's old enough to join the FBI. Witness Protection was successful, and she survived to adulthood and became an FBI agent.

The [[WitnessProtection Witness Protection Program]] serves to, well, protect witnesses to crimes in order to prevent perpetrators from... [[LeaveNoWitnesses cleaning up after themselves]], in a way. To put it simply, in case the perp has ideas to eliminate the witnesses in question, the Witness Protection Program will take those witnesses and officially alter all their records and form new identities plus have them move to another location in order to make them virtually impossible to track by the offenders. In RealLife, the program tends to be fairly successful in granting these people the security they need because there are multiple levels of protection, and doesn't have to be a new identity, such as adding restrictions on who can read normally public records. But in fiction... that's another story.

In cases where a government-issued program does not exist, friends, relatives and associates of the witness may make their own form of protection. However, the chances of the witness getting found out only increases exponentially. ''Especially'' if the protectors happen to be [[OneManArmy particularly]] [[{{Superhero}} powerful]].

* PlayedForLaughs in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trozs74zfGc this]] Dutch commercial for an insurance company. A man testifies against a mob family and is placed in the witness protection programme. But no sooner has he settled in his new house, his cover is blown because he is the 100.000th new inhabitant of the town where he settled, and is greeted by a huge welcome committee, complete with tons of press coverage.

* Averted in ''Manga/DetectiveConan'', there is a character called Jodie Starling who changed her name from Starling to Saintemillion due to this actress named Vermouth killing her parents and searching for Jodie. Jodie initially rejected the offer of Witness Portection by the FBI, but then changed her mind and it helped protect her. What changed her mind was making a promise with James Black to look for her parent's killer when she's old enough to join the FBI. Witness Protection was successful, and she survived to adulthood and became a FBI agent.

* The '90s BMovie ''Made Men'' starts with Bill Manucci, a ConMan in Witness Protection, getting a phone call warning him that the criminal syndicate he used to work for has discovered where he is, and has a group of men already on their way to retrieve the money he stole from the organization before informing on them, after which they will surely kill him. Bill then has to play his old comrades, the local criminals, the [[CorruptHick corrupt sheriff]], and one guy in the group sent after him who claims to be an undercover cop against one another in order to survive.

* ''Film/{{Runaway}}'': One of the few leads the police gets to find BigBad Dr. Charles Luther is Luther's girlfriend Jackie coming to the police looking for witness protection (because she is both running away from his abuse and took the patterns to create more killer-program chips, derailing his EvilPlan). Unfortunately for Jackie, Luther is a supreme expert in HollywoodHacking and CrazyPrepared (having concealed ''multiple'' bugs in her clothes) and she doesn't survives the night.
* Justified in ''Film/SisterAct'', where the main character under witness protection is found by the mob thanks to a [[TheMole mole]] working inside of police headquarters. The police know (or at least suspect) the leak exists, but it takes some time for them to find and plug it. Unfortunately the mole finds the protagonist and reports her to the mob ''just'' before he gets caught. Also downplayed in that it takes most of the length of the film for the mole to find her in the first place.

* Subverted in ''Series/BrooklynNineNine''. After receiving death threats from Jimmy Figgis, Jake and Holt end up living in Florida under witness protection. They manage live there under the false identities of Greg and Larry for six months and are often checked up on by their Marshal. However, the two intentionally break several rules to lure Figgis to Florida in order to finally apprehend him and resume their lives in New York.

* ''Series/{{FBI}}'': "Compromised" sees Maggie and OA dealing with several people in the Witness Protection Program getting exposed and assassinated in rapid succession, even several who have already spent years within the program without a problem. Its acknowledged in the episode that this has never happened before and shouldn't be possible. [[spoiler: It turns out the local head of the US Martials running the program is corrupt and is selling the information for money.]]

* Witness Protection rarely works out for anyone in ''Series/TheWire''. Because the city is so broke that it can't afford a proper witness protection program, on numerous occasions over the course of the series witnesses are killed or people who try to come forward with evidence of crime unintentionally give themselves away to their fellow criminals, and pay a heavy price as a result.

* In ''VideoGame/PoliceQuest 2'' escaped convict Jessie Bains is [[RageAgainstTheLegalSystem getting his revenge]] against the protagonist Sonny Bonds, the cop who arrested him, and the three witnesses who testified against him. One of the witnesses, Donald Colby, is under Witness Protection, and Bonds even gets a warning to the him and the police of the city Colby is in. Nevertheless, Bains manages to kill the witness. Of course, it didn't help that Colby still used his real name and even opened a business under it, allowing Bains to easily track him.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "Cape Feare" is a WholePlotReference to ''Film/CapeFear'' and as such the program does not work out. Sideshow Bob threatens Bart to kill him so the family decides to go into witness protection until Bob is sent back to prison. The relocation agents name the family the Thompsons and tell them they'll leave Springfield to [[StartingANewLife begin a new life]] in [[IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace Terror Lake]]. The family drives to Terror Lake and move into a houseboat, believing they are safe from Bob. Bob, however, has belted himself [[UndersideRide to the bottom of their car]]. In Terror Lake, Bob resumes his threats of Bart.

* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/OsmosisJones'' - at one point the crew visits the Chicken Pox virus who says they are in the virus protection program. This is actually a case of ShownTheirWork - the virus that chases Chicken Pox actually ''does'' lie dormant within your nerves after infection. At the age Frank is, it's very unlikely that he was vaccinated against Chicken Pox, thus he would have a dormant virus.

!!Examples

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Comics]]

* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}: Officer Down'' has a rare case of a ''completely'' [[AssholeVictim unsympathetic witness]] - a former mafioso who resented being split up from his family ([[NeverMyFault never mind]] that it was ''his'' choice to join the mob to start with) and guns down Commissioner Gordon for arranging the State's-Evidence deal to begin with. Ultimately, [[spoiler:even Batman's unable to make him confess to the shooting, and he walks... until [[CowboyCop Bullock]] deliberately leaks his identity to some of his old associates.]]
* One ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'' strip has an informant interviewed on TV (in a darkened room)... so of course, [[UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom a janitor comes in and turns on the light right when they cut to the guy.]]

[[folder:Film]]
* ''{{Film/Casino}}'': One of the mobsters managed to get on Witness Security and leave the country (ending up on Costa Rica), but his son is arrested and the rest of TheMafia, fearing that he will blab more info on the group, finds him and kills him.
* ''Film/TheDarkKnight'': Batman kidnaps a mob accountant and turns him over to Gotham police, and the accountant agrees to help the police bring the mob down in exchange for amnesty. In response, the mob hires The Joker as a 'problem-solver'; Joker proceeds to get himself arrested, blow up the police station with a cellphone bomb, spring the accountant from his cell and execute him by immolating him with gasoline.

* The 90s BMovie ''Made Men'' starts with Bill Manucci, a ConMan in Witness Protection, getting a phone call warning him that the criminal syndicate he used to work for has discovered where he is, and has a group of men already on their way to retrieve the money he stole from the organization before informing on them, after which they will surely kill him. Bill then has to play his old comrades, the local criminals, the [[CorruptHick corrupt sheriff]], and one guy in the group sent after him who claims to be an undercover cop against one another in order to survive.

* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' serial ''The Ambassadors of Death'', a scientist called Lennox runs away from where he's been held and forced to do alien experiments and turns himself in to UNIT. His superiors are quick to find out where he is and murder him by putting a radioactive isotope in his cell.
* ''Series/{{FBI}}'': ''Compromised'' sees Maggie and OA dealing with several people in the Witness Protection Program getting exposed and assassinated in rapid succession, even several who have already spent years within the program without a problem. Its acknowledged in the episode that this has never happened before and shouldn't be possible. [[spoiler: It turns out the local head of the US Martials running the program is corrupt and is selling the information for money.]]

* In ''Series/TheMentalist'' episode ''Red Sauce'', the VictimOfTheWeek is a mobster in Witness Protection after testifying against his boss. [[spoiler:His wife did it because [[YourCheatingHeart he cheated]] after she gave up everything for him.]]

[[folder:Magazines]]
* A parody of ''Series/PoliceWoman'' that appeared in ''Magazine/{{Mad}}'' has TheHero use the protected witness as a HumanShield against the bullets fired by the mobsters that want the witness silenced. Almost like a mantra, this poor guy asks, "Are you ''sure'' you're not out to get me?"
[[/folder]]

* ''VideoGame/SaintsRow2'' has a side mission where you have to assassinate a guy in WPP, which is as easy as going to the next fast-food, ordering every item from a menu to lure him out, and shooting him and his two bodyguards (both basic cop [=NPCs=]) dead.

* Justified in ''Film/SisterAct'', where the main character under witness protection is found by the mob thanks to a [[TheMole mole]] working inside of police headquarters. The police know the leak exists, but it takes some time for them to find and plug it. Unfortunately the mole finds the protagonist and reports her to the mob ''just'' before he gets caught.

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Index suggestions:
* CrimeAndPunishmentTropes
* CynicismTropes
* IndexFailure: WitnessProtection fails to prevent criminal retaliation.
* NarrativeDevices
* SociologyTropes
* ThisIndexIsUseless

* ''Series/TheGreenGreenGrass'': Invoked. Boycie ends up having to flee his beloved London, following it being leaked he testifying against the [[LondonGangsters Driscoll Brothers]]. As such he sells everything and buys a farm in Shropshire, then leaves in the middle of the night without telling anyone. When Marlene asks why not go into a Police witness protection, Boycie points out it was the Police who told the Driscoll's he was the grass. The Driscoll's do eventually find him, but only after Marlene foolishly invites her sister to visit for the weekend, up to which point they admit they had no clue where he was.