HARRIS COUNTY — Filing a complaint against a deputy is a pretty big decision.
Ariane Daughtry claims she struggled over it but couldn’t believe what she saw inside the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office.
“I was highly offended,” Daughtry said. “Highly offended and very intimidated.”
She claims she was intimidated by a sign, which she took a picture of, hanging behind the office receptionist that reads: “If you have a complaint, press the red button.”
The button was located inside a depiction of a mouse trap.
“When I think about a mouse trap, I think about a rat,” Daughtry said. “And it’s very disgusting because I’m neither.”
The deputy chief told KHOU 11 News the sign was put up by the receptionist and was intended for laughs. But it was inappropriate for the workplace and removed as soon as officials were made aware of it.
But the swift action doesn’t sit well with a local activist.
“Because the community should not be the ones to have to bring it to your attention that it’s wrong,” said Quanell X. “What you’re doing is creating an environment in which citizens are afraid to file complaints against cops.”
Daughtry went on to file her complaint accusing a deputy of abusive language. But she fears someone’s idea of a joke may have already caused damage.
“How many people have seen this and felt I’m not going? They don’t know the repercussions.”