Garth Rattray
I WAS ELATED by the recent news that the St. Andrew South Police (headed by division commander Superintendent Newton 'Thunder' Amos) clamped down on belligerent windshield-wiping street boys and hauled eight parents/guardians before the courts to answer charges related to breaches of The Child Care and Protection Act, 2004, and the Town and Communities Act. The relevant section of the Child Care and Protection Act speaks to parents/guardians that cause, procure, allow or place a child or children in any street or premises to beg or receive alms. The Town and Community Act speaks to the illegality of using threatening, abusive or calumnious language to someone in public. It also covers the use of such language accompanied by such behaviour to breach the peace.
CONTINUOUS PESTERING
Unfortunately, the effectiveness of organisations like the Possibility Programme (out of the Office of the Prime Minister), the National Initiative for Street Children (YMCA and the Christian Boys' Home), the Children Development Agency (Ministry of Health), Children First (Spanish Town) and the Western Society for the Upliftment of Children (Montego Bay) isn't readily evident. Not only do some street boys verbally abuse and threaten the very people who work to better their lives, they continue to pester, intimidate and terrorise motorists. Along with many others, I have been agitating for something definitive to be done about some of these waifs but, having failed in my quest, I now circumvent well-known street boys' hot-spots to avoid the incessant harassment.
Windshield washers are generally more aggressive towards female drivers and more persistent when the vehicle looks expensive. Most wipe windshields uninvited and then fiercely and threateningly demand payment for their unsolicited 'labour'. I have witnessed people have coins flung back at them, dirty water splashed on them, knives brandished, wipers bent or broken, punches and slaps thrown, cars vandalised and (of course) a wide assortment of expletives hurled at them.
Some wipers/beggars feign familiarity and rush the car with open arms and broad smiles while others attempt to inure themselves by showering respectful names on drivers. In an effort to gain sympathy some say that they are hungry and others say that they don't want to steal for a living.
Our only short-lived reprieve came when the police used to take up positions at major intersections. Sadly, that didn't last too long. Another brief respite came last December when popular and well-liked windshield-washer, Richard 'Richie' Grant was murdered. The groundswell of praises for Richie made wipers/beggars realise that good manners and proper decorum were far more effective than aggression. But, that didn't last for too long either.
DONATING TO THAT CAUSE
Washing windshields and begging are not illegal but intimidating and assaulting motorists are. Additionally, an undetermined number of street boys use their earnings to gamble and/or buy illegal drugs. For this reason, several countries actively discourage their citizens from giving money directly to street beggars and windshield washers. Instead, they establish avenues and centres for donating to that cause so that the government can use those funds to better see to their welfare. Perhaps we could consider gas stations, tax and postal offices. Street boys and mendicants would be registered in order to access the funds donated. This would help bring order to a society that has slowly degenerated into disorder and indiscipline, the cohorts of crime and violence.
In the meantime, I am happy to report that the St. Andrew South Police told me that they plan to sustain their campaign against driver harassment and also look into long-term rehabilitation and care for the street boys. Like Superintendent Amos, I urge other affected divisions and police stations to follow suit.
Dr. Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice.
