UK Protected Persons Service

{{Short description|Service of the UK government}}

The UK Protected Persons Service (UKPPS) is a service provided by the government of the United Kingdom that provides personal protection to people at risk of serious harm, such as those requiring witness protection or at threat from domestic abuse, honour-based violence, or organized crime.{{Cite news |date=2020-10-09 |title=Covid: The never-ending lockdown of witness protection |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-54148742 |access-date=2022-10-19}} It works with the National Crime Agency and British police forces.{{Cite web |title=Protected persons |url=https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/what-we-do/how-we-work/providing-specialist-capabilities-for-law-enforcement/protected-persons |access-date=2022-10-19 |website=National Crime Agency |language=en-GB}} The service can provide protected people with new identities and homes.{{Cite web |last=Anonymous |date=2022-10-19 |title=A moment that changed me: I was given a new identity to protect me from my abusive ex |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/oct/19/a-moment-that-changed-me-i-was-given-a-new-identity-to-protect-me-from-my-abusive-ex |access-date=2022-10-19 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}

The UKPPS was set up in 2013,{{Cite web |title=UK wide protection for witnesses as new national scheme launched |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-wide-protection-for-witnesses-as-new-national-scheme-launched |access-date=2022-10-19 |website=GOV.UK |language=en|date=28 December 2012}}{{Cite web |title=Working inside the UK Protected Persons Service {{!}} National Crime Agency |url=https://www.wired-gov.net/wg/news.nsf/articles/Working+inside+the+UK+Protected+Persons+Service+18082015091500?open |access-date=2022-10-19 |website=www.wired-gov.net |language=en}} and was reorganized to be under centralized control by the National Crime Agency in 2019.{{Cite web |last=Thompson |first=Tony |date=Mar 28, 2019 |title=Major reorganisation sees NCA take control of Protected Persons Service |url=https://www.policeprofessional.com/news/major-reorganisation-sees-nca-take-control-of-protected-persons-service/ |access-date=2022-10-19 |website=Police Professional |language=en-US}} {{As of|2014}}, the service provided protection for around 3000 people at a cost of around £20 million per year.{{Cite web |date=2014-01-24 |title=Up to 3,000 people believed to be in witness protection programmes in UK |url=http://www.theguardian.com/law/2014/jan/24/3000-people-witness-protection-programme-uk |access-date=2022-10-19 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}

Section 4 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 makes provision for witness protection services.{{Cite web |title=Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005, Part 2 Chapter 4 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/15/part/2/chapter/4 |access-date=2022-10-19 |website=www.legislation.gov.uk}}