ghentry wrote:My wife works downtown and there are a very large number of homeless walking the sidewalks, many of whom are mentally ill. She has many stories of them walking up to people and launching a tirade against them without provocation and there have been assaults. There is one guy that you NEVER make eye contact with.
Enough background. My wife is supportive of me having a CHL, but she doesn't feel ready to get her own yet. Her situational awareness is very good now, but I feel she needs to be armed with something.
Which would be more effective, a stun gun or OC? I'm leaning toward OC because they often wear a lot of clothing and I'm afraid the stun gun wouldn't make body contact. What I'm wondering is if the person is highly intoxicated or mentally ill, will the OC still have a strong effect on the person? Also, suggestions for what type/size OC would be appreciated.
I feel your pain...
I used to work downtown as well...Right across from the HPD HQ on Travis...
The homeless problem has only gotton worse (depending on your point of view)...How you conduct yourself in my opinion is paramount...There are of course many serious, aggressive situations a homeless person will put you in, and sometimes there are a few humorous encounters as well...
I also don't think there is just one "fix" to how you, yourself, handle these situations...
Depending on what her schedule is, my first suggestion is of course to get some sort of defensive spray system...Most of the time during the day, the homeless folk are just adjusting to the crowds coming around to and from work...
Lunchtime is where they will be most active during the day...
They know you got money, and what you are doing out from your office at that time...Obviously...The best thing for her is to stay in a group of people, whether she knows them or not...The homeless alway exploit the individual, mostly if they are walking by themselves and not in a group...
If she parks in an open parking lot (not a garage) that doesn't have proprietary access, and the homeless are out there wandering in the lot...Make that complaint to the owners of that lot...Tell them you'll take you money and business, and get the word out that it is unsafe and not very secure to your co-workers if they fail to step up their own presence in their lot...That does work wonders, believe me...
Parking garages have their own risks...But not so much a homeless problem in there...The precaustions you take in there are obvious...
Unfortunately these are the only things you can do...The City of Houston has a "hot/cold" attitude regarding homeless issues...It only get attention during big city events, and not much at any other time...
Homeless folks like you say, tend not to be anything more than an uncomfortable annoyance to most people...They are not too bright (the ones that actively panhandle)...The violent ones are a small minority that are definitely a problem...All you can do is be alert and ready to deal with it at that time...In a manner you feel most comfortable with...
It is also a problem that will never be solved...Because they do not want to be solved (for the most part)...How we minimize its impact on our lives is about the only thing that will reduce that impact...
I totally empathise with your concerns for your wifes safety...
To me, there are a few other types of criminals that lurk in our downtown area, that are a much more substantial threat to your safety than a homeless person...
For the most part your efforts to identify, access and take the approriate measures for your personal safety are commendable and show great responsibility...
BTW, I still carried to and from work at that job, and kept it secure in my desk while in the office...That was the easy part...
Good luck,
Steve