Another valuable asset that aids the prosecution of organized crime groups is the federal Witness Security Programme. Because of the often violent nature of organized crime, witness intimidation can be a significant obstacle in the way of a successful prosecution. To address that problem, the Department of Justice created the Federal Witness Security Programme in 1970. Requests for protection of witnesses must be made as soon as it is known that the Witness Security Programme candidate will be a significant and essential witness, and will need relocation due to proximity to a “danger area.” Naturally, because of the security concerns regarding the witness and his or her family, a witness’s pending and actual participation in the Programme is not disclosed unless under the authorization of the Office of Enforcement Operations (OEO). This allows the United States Marshals Service (USMS) time to conduct preliminary interviews, psychological testing, and appropriate review, thereby
minimizing the disruption to both the witness and the concerned government agencies.