The District Attorney is the chief law enforcement officer in Harris County, and is responsible for prosecuting all the felonies, misdemeanors and serious traffic offenses commited in the county. Crime prevention programs are a priority for the District Attorney’s Office. One of the best ways to promote community safety is to teach our citizens how to protect themselves from becoming crime victims. The Victims' Rights Division of the Harris County District Attorney's Office was established in 1977 to provide information, assistance, and support to victims of crime in Harris County. The Code of Criminal Procedure Article 56.04 states that every District Attorney's Office must have a victim assistance coordinator. The coordinators are liaisons between the victim and the prosecutor handling the case and provide crime victims with information about their rights and the criminal justice system including ongoing information about the status of a case. Coordinators also provide referrals to appropriate social service agencies to assist crime victims in coping with the impact of the crime. The criminal justice system can be confusing and overwhelming to those who are not familiar with it. Therefore the coordinators assigned to this division are committed to helping victims and witnesses through the process by providing them with the help and services necessary to assist their recovery of the criminal act.
