HOUSTON — The Harris County District Attorney’s Office prosecutes alleged criminals, but recently, some staffers said they’ve become victims themselves.
"Of course, I felt vulnerable and unsafe,” HCDAO community engagement coordinator Tamera Johnson said.
She said a homeless or unhoused man wearing no pants confronted her while she was walking from her car to the courthouse.
"And as he approached me, he put his hands in his boxer shorts, started fondling with himself,” Johnson said.
She said the man followed her across the street -- where she tried to call for help.
"And that’s where he got more violent and started to make threatening remarks and saying what he was going to do to me and trying to take the phone from me,” Johnson said.
According to the DA’s office, at least five staffers, including an assistant district attorney, have either been harassed or assaulted. Four of the five are females.
A shuttle is now transporting some employees to and from a more secure parking location a mile away.
"Our homeless population is getting more aggressive,” Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen said.
His office, which covers the courthouse complex, already has a large presence in the area and, like some other agencies, does homeless outreach and makes arrests, when necessary.
"From my perspective, the downtown courthouse complex is extremely safe," Rosen said. "But you are going to have incidents where law enforcement is not present and crime takes place.”
He said protecting those who work in the courthouses is a priority as are the thousands of citizens who visit.
"It’s very traumatizing when something like that happens to you,” Johnson said.
Officials said this incident is in no way an indictment on those impacted by homelessness, many of whom struggle with mental health issues. Rosen said his office interfaced with about 500 such people in the area last year.
Johnson said the man who confronted her was later arrested.