Local community members gathered at a Liberty City church Monday to discuss the logistics of a recently passed witness protection law.
The legislation will allow murder witnesses to have their identities protected from public records for two years after the crime if they come forward.
“It’s never been done before, so I think it’s a start,” Miami-Dade Police Director Juan Perez said. “There is more work to be done in the legislative field but [we] will seize the moment and encourage people to come forward.”
Perez is hopeful the law will help end the no-snitch culture that impacts crime-prone areas in Miami-Dade. In such areas, some cases grow cold because witnesses won’t talk.
Community activist Tangela Sears lost her son to gun violence and wants to help families get the closure they deserve. She said the meeting was primarily about community education.
“I hope this is the beginning of closing a lot of these cases — I’m hoping as we get word out people will come forward to help police solve these cases,” Sears said.
