By Dennie Quill, ContributorA WAVE of new beggars has taken up residence in New Kingston, the nation's premier business district. Lately I have become uncomfortable walking the gauntlet of desperate, often hostile pleas from children, teenagers, men and women.
To be sure begging is flourishing all over the capital. I say this with certainty because last week I did a survey. I was approached four times on Knutsford Boulevard as I walked from the corner of Barbados Avenue to Jam-Rock. Then I went to the Cable and Wireless office in New Kingston and in walks a young man, strong and fit, and with outstretched hands he tried to solicit customers and C&W employees. I went to Parliament last week and as soon as I parked my vehicle two youngsters were at my elbow, begging.
PLAYING ON OUR SYMPATHY
Then there are some familiar faces at the stop lights. I know them because I encounter them every day. They are often aggressive and rude. Something else is happening also. Beggars are playing on our sympathy. Two weeks ago I observed a man resting beside his motorcycle he had run out of gas and he was seeking help to get to May Pen. He was there for three days telling the same story. Beggars are becoming creative, like asking for money to fill prescriptions or parading a hungry-looking child and appealing for food. If one were to measure the harshness of the times by the number of beggars on the streets then we are going through hell. As every one of us feels the economic pinch the tolerance for begging is fast diminishing.
The sidewalks of New Kingston have become extremely inhospitable. Does anyone really care? It is not a crime to beg, but surely there is a law against harassment and, frankly, some of these beggars have fine-tuned the art of intimidation. The officers assigned to the police post in New Kingston can be seen literally rubbing shoulders with the harassers. The police presence is no deterrent and they continue badgering passers-by with impunity.
FAIRLY SHOCKED
Visitors to the capital must be fairly shocked to see our large begging population. We can't just sit back and allow the problem to fester. It is time to start discussing solutions to this problem. We should first seek to determine why these people are on the streets. Usually they fall into one of the following categories: mentally/ emotionally disturbed, substance abuser, unskilled or out-of-work and con artist.
There are a number of social service agencies which fall within the public sector and there are many other non-government organisations that seek to look after our less fortunate. A problem of this magnitude demands the intervention of the city government, business community, police and social services. An assessment should be done of all street people and the necessary treatment applied. Those who are ill should be placed in a medical facility; the able-bodied should be encouraged to find work or taught a skill. In the rural village where I grew up, we didn't have beggars. People who were having a difficult time earning a livelihood would often walk around and collect empty bottles and sell them, or they would offer their services to do some task for money. Kingston is not the only city that has a beggar population. In one city in Montana in the United States there was a crackdown on aggressive begging under a campaign called 'Change for the Better'.
The business community decided to put up plastic change boxes on their counters and customers were asked to put their loose change in the boxes. This money was given to the social services that provide shelter, food etc., for needy people. Panhandling was discouraged and there was another guarantee that the money donated would not be used to buy illegal drugs.
STRINGENT MEASURES
And in Denver, Colorado, when the city's convention business was threatened because of aggressive panhandling, stringent measures were put in place. For example, begging was prohibited after dark, within six feet of a building entrance or public transportation, within 20 feet of an ATM, pay phone or public parking lot, after being asked to leave. In addition, the court was permitted to appoint guardians for mentally ill persons so they could get treated.
Begging is an epidemic that can hurt a city's image and scare away customers. The business community has a vested interest in seeing that the sidewalks are kept clean and friendly.
Frankly there is an urgent demand for order in New King-ston. Passers-by are being menaced by the brigade of hustlers who are adrift in this city.
Someone who was studying the homeless situation in New York City compared it to a broken window. He said that a broken window, if left unrepaired, sends a signal that no one cares and invites even more damage. New Kingston is our broken window. Stake-
holders need to move hastily to repair it and demonstrate that they care, because its economic viability is being threatened.
Dennie Quill is a veteran
journalist who can be reached
at denniequill@hotmail.com.
