Another case of mismanagement of witness protection funds emerged this week after a vetern Los Angeles police detective pleaded not guilty to embezzling thousands of dollars which was intended for the protection and relocation of witnesses in Los Angeles.

Understandably, there is a high degree of secrecy surrounding the allocation of funds for witness protection, but this is no excuse for such oversights. Police departments need to make sure they have robust systems in place to ensure accountability and effective management of police funds.