The American-Statesman began investigating the personal safety of Travis County District Attorney José Garza based on a tip in August after learning that county commissioners had taken unprecedented measures to protect his home earlier this year.
The reporting included identifying the potential threats that required Garza’s protection, how they compare to the dangers faced by other elected and appointed officials, and what security services or enhancements are funded with public money.
The Statesman confirmed that county officials took action to protect Garza’s home after his address was posted on social media in late January, along with a screenshot of his campaign finance report that is easily found on the county’s website. (The address has since been removed.)
The posting of his address on social media came after the Travis County Sheriff’s Office in 2023 investigated two pieces it deemed “concerning communications” addressed to Garza. One was a letter sent to his residence, which officials forwarded to the U.S. Postal Inspector for investigation. The other was an email sent to the county that sheriff’s investigators did not consider a credible threat.
According to the Statesman, threats against public officials have increased overall. The county is on track to have at least 100 threats against judges and other public officials by 2024, up from 74 last year.
Government transparency watchdogs have criticized the county’s decisions about how commissioners responded to Garza’s request for security, saying the county lacks a consistent way to evaluate threats and that the security Garza received was not up to par with that of other officials.
Travis County reserves tapped for DA house security
The Statesman reported in August that commissioners voted unanimously in the spring to take $115,000 from county reserves and transfer the funds to the Travis County Prosecutor’s Office for Garza’s security.
The move came after Garza made a direct appeal to the commissioners during a closed meeting.
“He wanted something done to keep him safe,” recalled Commissioner Margaret Gomez.
Commissioner Ann Howard acknowledged that the money was used to improve Garza’s home security, but she declined to provide details. Other commissioners also declined to discuss the details, as did County Judge Andy Brown, who employs Garza’s wife as his chief of staff.
An investigation of the dispatch center by The Statesman found that county officers have been providing security at Garza’s home on nights and weekends since February. A security detail was mobilized within days of his address being posted on social media.
It is unclear whether the $115,000 will be used to pay for security.
The security forces have continued despite multiple law enforcement agencies confirming to the Statesman that they are not aware of any current threats to Garza and are not conducting investigations into his safety.
The Attorney General’s Office declined to release examples of threats Garza has received, but said in a statement that Garza has “received multiple politically motivated threats of violence, including against his life and home” over the past 12 months.
Secrecy reigns – until now
Legal experts say the transfer of the $115,000 from the county’s reserves to Garza’s office likely occurred through a legally flawed agenda item on the Commissioners Court agenda that failed to properly inform the public about the spending of taxpayer dollars.
Houston attorney Joe Larsen, a board member of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, said he believes the original posting about the transaction “was not in compliance with the Open Meetings Act. It’s clear that they’re trying to cover up in some way what’s at issue here.”
Due to security concerns, the county is resisting the release of security spending data in more than a half-dozen requests filed by the Statesman under the Texas Public Information Act.
The Public Prosecution Service is expected to make a decision in October on whether the province should release the documents.
New security team
Travis County officials are currently working to establish a new security team that will bring consistency to the evaluation of potential threats and the decision to deploy security.
The $1.8 million team, included in the county’s upcoming budget, is expected to include a law enforcement supervisor, three officers and an analyst. Travis County Precinct 5 Constable Carlos Lopez will sponsor the officers’ licenses, but they will report to the county’s executive branch for technology and operations, officials said.
The team is expected to perform security detail for appointed and elected officials and county employees. It will also perform “preliminary work” to ensure the safety of officials when they attend public events, for example.
The team is expected to be operational in early 2025.
Officials declined to comment on whether they would reevaluate Garza’s safety based on the new protocols to assess safety and the need for protection.
This article originally appeared on the Austin American-Statesman: Key Findings from the American-Statesman Investigation into Travis County Security
