Earlier in the week I was listening to the topic about vagrants in Roseau on Matt in the Morning’s programme on Q95 FM. Callers expressed concern that government is not doing anything to remove these people, who are accused of harassing tourists and locals. Others blame the families of these vagrants.
But if any of us with brains larger than that of a bird knows that it is not a quick-fix situation and no one can be blamed entirely for this vexing issue.
First and foremost, Dominica is not the only country that has a vagrant problem. It is even worst in developed First World countries like the United States and Canada. That’s why I was appalled when former chief justice Sir Brian Alleyne indicated that Dominica has become a begging state because people are always on the streets begging. And I was even more shocked when he blamed the present government. During Sir Alleyne’s government, and before his government, street people was always a problem.
The issue of vagrancy, beggars, mentally ill people and drug addicts roaming the streets is a problem rooted in a variety of factors such as lack of employment, the drug trade, broken homes and families, lack of ambition and poverty. It is not a government problem. Sir Alleyne and some of these Johnny Come Lately know this.
Do you remember the famous Street People Scandal in Jamaica which attracted regional and international attention/condemnation?
In July 1999, a group of approximately 32 mentally ill and homeless people in the popular tourist city of Montego bay were forcibly trucked to another parish called St Elizabeth, and abandoned in a deserted area. A Commission of Inquiry ended with no one being held accountable.
It is no secret that these people have a negative effect on tourism and the image of any country.
In Roseau, I see a new street person almost every week. The Grotto Home for the Homeless can only do so much. Some of these vagrants do not want to stay at the Home. They prefer to go on the street and beg, especially the drug addicts and the mentally ill.
My solution is this:
1. Increased gov’t subsidy: Government needs to pump more resources into the home for the homeless which can allow the caretakers to upgrade the facilities, provide more meals, clothing and accommodation, as well as long-term social, educational and rehabilitative programmes for these people, in collaboration with other agencies. The Grotto Home is desperately in need of more help. Part of the funding will also go towards better securing the facility, to stop some of these people from leaving and roaming the streets.
2. Families: The relatives of these people, especially the mentally ill, should be held accountable. When it is substantiated that a vagrant is mentally ill, then relatives must be contacted and held responsible. Relatives of these people should be cautioned by law enacted in parliament that if they do not keep their relatives off the street, provide a place of accommodation and care for their health, they will face imprisonment or a fine. It is disheartening to see some of these well-off or better-off relatives pass their brothers, sisters, cousins, etc on the street every day and do not nothing to help them.
Night landing
This night landing scenario is now a big joke, so big that people have branded flu-like symptoms ‘Night Landing’. While some limited night landing exists through Winair, it is way short of what was announced prior to its launch last year. Without LIAT, night landing is useless and just a continuous facade. It is obvious government did not conduct and complete adequate research before rushing to hold a colourful and costly ceremony where people shed tears, hugged and sang – almost all in vain. We acknowledge government was under pressure because they missed the completion deadlines for the Melville Hall Airport Development several times. But I cannot understand how they got LIAT to do an inaugural test flight then months later LIAT is still not satisfied with the safety provisions. It does not make sense. And who is to be blamed? Not LIAT, but government. Simple! You cannot launch something unless it is completed. LIAT, which has an unblemished safety record, will not risk the lives of their passengers.
CARICOM Airways saga
Now this situation is a load of garbage. If I was their mother I would take a strap and lash everyone involved, including Minister Rayburn Blackmoore, St. Lucia’s Minister of Tourism Allen Chastanet, the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA), St. Vincent’s Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, the secretaries, cook, media and the parents of these people involved. No seriously, this is Caribbean unity at its best. This shows how good we are at working together as a Caribbean people, over a simple issue as an airline seeking to operate an 8-seater , not a frigging jet with 100 people, but an 8-seater. Minister Blackmoore claimed that the ECCAA gave CARICOM Airways permission to operate in Dominica, yet it did not give permission to land in St. Vincent? Does this mean each country has its own ECCAA rules? Why can’t we work together? Why? CSME is like a big fat joke. You hold a CSME certificate which gives you right of free movement and a journalist gets deported for allegedly overstaying! People take a look at the bigger picture; everyone involved in this must be blamed. It shows disorganization, misinformation and lack of unity as BLACK, Caribbean people. We are all so prejudiced and pompous as if the majority of our ancestors were not on a slave ship coming from Africa many years ago. Take a leaf from the book of the white, Indian, and Arabian people!
Crime in Wesley
Several incidents of stabbing and shooting has occurred in Wesley over the past month and the majority of law-abiding citizens in that village are concerned. It is no secret that the marijuana/drug trade has been influencing a lot of the crime in that community. But when there is lack of employment for young people, many find it easier to go and plant and sell weed. On top of that, the stress of not being able to find something productive to do, builds up a lot of anger in people and they become naturally aggressive and ghetto-like. Now what pisses me off is that it took so long to hear anything from the parliament representative, Minister Gloria Shillingford, who like many successful Dominica Labour Party candidates like Ambrose George etc, have disappeared from thin air since being elected. In light of all these shootings and stabbings, wouldn’t a little statement sooner than later on the situation make the constituency feel better? Silence is like betrayal in this matter. It took a lot of criticisms on the air to let her sneak out from the hole. To add insult to injury, it is a magistrate, Tiyani Behanzin, who is planning a peace concert, who is seemingly rooting for the people. Behanzin was never elected to serve Wesley and its environs. Ms. Shillingford, my advice is to shape up or get out. Be on the lookout for Mr. Behanzin; he is eyeballing your seat and he might just be successful.
Love your post . Really
I like.
this problem with vagrants is really getting out of hand. They walk the roads almost naked, pester everyone for money. The other day on old street I saw this one romove his dingaling and pee right next to a car and before he put it back he was walking towards people. He lucky i didn’t have a peppesauce – lol-
Another one i dont know where he got a bag of garbage from and went into the bank’s ATM place and put it in there and left….you just have to look in wonder
The country needs a Mental Health Institution, A.S.A.P! These people are on the streets day in day out, harrassing people, scaring the shit outta kids and endangering their lives. They smell real bad, look real bad and are creating problems for the tourists.
If gov’t can source funds for a palace – which according to them will also house gov’t offices, then they can source funds for the institutions. The psychiatric ward is not enough, a separate instituion is needed. This institution would provide food, clothing, shelter for the patients, and most importantly the PROPER health care they desperately need. Nurses, mental health doctors, conselors, the appropriately qualified PROFESSIONALS with EXPERIENCE should be employed there to take care of these people. Instead of just discarding them on the rubbish dump of society which stinks to high heaven do something about these people! They are human beings who most likely were mentally healthy at some point in their lives, they just need some care and attention. Their families will be able to visit them and also provide meals when they can.This is a serious, serious problem people, we Dominicans are not proactive, as usual we are waiting for something bad to happen before we do something about our problems. It’s like we wait for our bobo to full up with puss before we treat it, this is ridiculous! It’s about time the leaders be proactive. Dominica is in such a mess, it hurts.
my brother abused drugs until he lost his mind, are you telling me i am now responsible for him. guess what, he is a dentist (was….cuba) and me, just a high school diploma from sma.
who ask you …
Dominican residents and/or those concerned about crimes/murders in their area should reside in bigger and more progressive countries. Crazy/mad people and transients roam the streets. It is by the grace and protection of God more people are not harmed. There are many who are begging, the young and old, even children of school age. There are those who receive government financial assistance who continue to beg. They use the money mainly for cigarettes and illegal drugs. The stories are many. I could also inform you about my experience. Only last night on my way to the grocery store, “a black person asked me for a $1.00”; some people ask for 0.25 or .50 cents. What can they purchase with them? If they keep on asking for that amount all day long, at the end of the day they will have accumulated much more than you and I probably have in our purses/ pockets/wallets.
These people have all sorts of tricks and state all sorts of excuses when asking for money. People have to be careful with their purses that they are not stolen. The government has done much. It has tried and tried.
Some years ago a Police came to the office and showed us films about those people and sex maniacs (as we also refer to them) and were given many examples on how to protect ourselves.
We are also told to be alert; do not appear scared which is what pleases criminals to take advantage of the situation and to make their move.
In those countries most people who especially own homes have alarm and camera systems to deter criminals. Somehow, some of them still find their way in. Desperate people will find a way.
It is not always that some are unemployed and desperate for everyone who is unemployed receive unemployment benefits if they are entitled to it. Others will receive government assistance benefits. There are people who are just plain wicked, greedy and lazy.
If we want a good society, free of those human crimes and murders, parents must do their utmost to nurture their children appropriately and be responsible parents. I have also stated that the government should assist the children during those school years by providing discipline curriculum.
Parents must also practice the faith, live up to God’s Commandments and the religious teachings of the Church and nurture those children in godliness from the moment they can talk and understand.
Society has swayed from God’s Commandments and the Church’s teachings and this is what we get for it. Every Christian should know this which is the cause of the problems in society and which is obviously escalating.
If we expect a better society, we must do our utmost to conform to the Most Holy Will of God. In addition, treat others with dignity and respect which they deserve, even in writing on this Website. Do not expect society to become better, to be transformed and overnight at that if we are not willing to assist our society, physically, financially and in godliness. Otherwise, all else will fail. This is my conclusion which I hope with the help of God.
While I am at it I recall an incident a few years ago. One afternoon I was on my way to Church downtown at St. Michael’s Cathedral, Toronto. As I entered the gates, I saw two men sitting on a huge stone. One had a Miraculous Medal of The Model of God, pinned on his T-shirt. One of them begged me for money. I stood and spoke to them and said: “It is not because you see people well-dressed that they have money.” Generally, these people get government monthly financial assistance. Some of them also use it to purchase liquor.
Then I informed them that they should go to church and pray to God so that He could help them. As I left them to enter the church, I heard one of them state: “Now that is what I call a natural person.” I was amused. Reason is, people would just pass them by without saying a word and giving them a cent.
Every country has its fair share of such people. The bigger the population, the greater the problem. I am wondering if they will ever be eliminated. We may also have to bear it and put up with it as governments do what they can to help those people. It is a societal problem. The main recourse we have is to God and to pray that He will help those people as we do what we can for them. Also for our protection.
Lastly, homes must be properly built, doors and windows should be secured so as to at least try to deter criminals. We can only do so much and keep praying to God for protection and also on our property.
For Catholics, do not also forget the Holy Water, blessing yourselves and your homes, your surroundings, at least twice a day – morning and night. I can tell you more about that and the mortal and spiritual effect of the blest Holy Water.
I really wish you Mr John F had employed a different Surname. I hear enough of yours coming from the gutters.
On the issue of vagrancy, the population on a whole must be held responsible. If you keep on giving them money they will keep on coming out expecting to get money from you. That’s an option that they have. If that giving had never been started, it would not have been a problem now. Something else would have been done to accommodate needy people and the lazy ones would have had to find ‘wok’. Under prevailing circumstances why should they bother when they can get a dalla here and there. Giving in that manner has become part of the survival system of the country and it is everybody’s fault. I would prefer to contribute to the Home for the Homeless than to give a beggar. That way I know that I am not contributing to and encouraging a habit that is demeaning.
On the increase in Crime: I would “Legalize marijuana. Hey! Hey! Hey!.” Do we really have to wait on America to tell us it is o,k. to do that when they themselves are experimenting with legalization? Collect the taxes from it to help do the things that these little cash strapped economies need to be done. When America gave our bananas the blow, Dame Eugenia threatened them that the island’s option was to grow marijuana to replace the banana industry. That may still be an option. How many decades now we have been spending scarce resources to to apprehend, prosecute and keep poor people to prison for it? Is it stopping or slackening? Nooo! It is developing a mementum, life and culture of its own, and that is not pretty. It is the prohibition that is causing all the trouble associated with it. From what I hear without the prohibition aspect it would be no more dangerous than alcohol and we tolerate that. I believe that the police are fed up with it, because it robs them of the time they could be out there solving real crimes. We talk about Dominica’s crime level, we should check St.Kitts’ crime level for a county with about two thirds our population. Not that any of it is right, but where illicit drugs is in the scene the problem will never be solved.
By the way, we talk about shortage of jobs. Apart from those who make it their lives ambition to hound politicians, are there any young people interested in being private detectives? There should be good money in that as the crime level soars.
To the Watcher:
Your senseless comments do not deserve credit.
It is people like you who cause society what it is today. Legalize marijuana and note what type of worst society Dominica will have.
I could comment further except to state, leave God out of your life, out of your country and you will be forever stupid, poor and Dominica will never progress to the point of what it should be. The devil is pleased with you and your effort to renounce God and His teachings. He is also pleased with the foolish people as yourself who comment on this Website with their uneducating and unenlightening comments which does not educate anyone or help Dominica at all.
Our Lord Jesus Christ said: “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” Go read your Holy Bible and practice the faith. Live God’s Ten Commandments and the religious teachings of the faith. Pray to God for His blessings, graces and enlightenment. Do something concrete to assist Dominica and the vagrants. Introduce and initiate some sensible action which could help those unfortunate people who have found themselves in such a manner that they are not able to help themselves, to be lifted up from their predicament and to assist society.
The only hope and help for the world is Our Lord Jesus Christ. If you think that you can do without Him, woe to you. The day will come when you will live to regret it and sooner than you expect.
man you must linten if you want people to listen to you.You think that what you are saying is gospel?Befor you judge anyone judge yourself.i wanted to agree to and still do with some of your comment, befor you responded to this commentator.all we are writing is our opion, it is not the truth ,it is not the fact though it have some of that. I respect GOD and will not touch that. You are just speaking for your religious party. God loves us and HE and only He alone knows where we are going.The order i try to follow from GOD is LOVE my neighbour as thyself, do to them as i would want them to do to me.the way you speak, does not complement your belief.So what happen to the other Religious groups who follow their course of GODLYNESS?
@ Listening wind.
There is no such thing as listening wind. The wind listens to no one. It just does its thing and will blow you away and everything in its path.
Was any specific religious group mentioned in my writing? If I am of a certain religious group I will obviously state some words for their benefit.
This shows that you do not read, digest and comprehend what you read.
Love your neighbor but speak the truth and do your utmost to assist your society such as Dominica. Whose side are you on? Many of you just talk and love to see your comments on this Website. What fruits are your comments bearing? This is the question. Food for thought.
Your comment “I would prefer to contribute to the Home for the Homeless than to give a beggar” is right on. Sadly, due to mental illness, Which statistics prove is the case with most homeless, usually it starts with alcohol and drug abuse, followed by the lose of a job, then abandonment by family and friends. Unless you have the “gov” running it like a penitentiary, with security guards, Psychiatrists/nurses/Christian Pastors on staff and a “work/skill development” program as they start to “heal”, you are just spitting in the wind. Legalizing drugs of any kind is the last thing you need. The children who start smoking because you made it easy for them to get “hooked on drugs”, will be tomorrow’s vagrants.
Very good piece.
BUT we cannot expect family to take sole responsibility for their mentally ill relatives. In the UK they closed alot of mental institutes and expected families/communities to care for them. They called it “Care in the Community” and it is not working. There has been many incidents involving the mentally ill, some fatal. What is required is more safe houses for the mentally ill. We have to be more understanding where mental illness is concerned, and remember that not all mentally ill persons are vagrants.
On night landing, I was happy when the first plane landed at M H. I said ‘great now we wont have to go through the trauma of staying overnight in Antigua’. Now we still have to hope that there are no delays in flights leaving the UK (or elsewhere) and landing in Antigua after 2.30/3.30 and end up staying overnight in an expensive hotel.
Re the Vagrant issue.. we need a mental institution capable of housing the individuals the medics say are mentally challenged. – They are the ones on the street begging – we need somewhere to house those people and treat them.
Relatives cannot be held accountable for someone’s mental problem.
Whenever people cannot stand on their own… they become the states problem and therefore the state should have means of preventing them from being a menace to society. – MENTAL INSTITUTIONS.
mr focker you could not have broken it down much better,the night landing is a total hoax,mr blackmore could have made sure all is in place.liat is a safe airline but i think they are trying to undermine our development,i have had many bad experiences with liat as many other dominicans have in the past.they keep us overnight to spend money and there baggage handlers ripp us off.dominicans tend not to understand what it is to elect someone ton represent them.take a look @the new senate and house members,see what is going to happen to them next election.do not elect someone bc you like them.
Mr. Focker, how do you plan to make relatives of mentally ill ADULT people responsible for their well being? The same way you cannot make relatives responsible for the criminal behaviour of adult people, you also cannot make them take responsibility for their mentally ill kin. That is where the state needs to step in and provide assistance to these unfortunate people.
Taxes are not solely for building roads. it also extends to providing health care, whether it is for broken bones, heart attacks or mental illness.
Well said! Too often we hear from our authorities the refrain:” we can not do it alone” as an excuse for not taking any action. They conveniently forget that they were put- and desired to be put into place by those, who pay taxes to take care of these issues. I’m sure the majority of people would volunteer to assist but the responsibility for executing a plan of action ultimately lies with those authorities. It will not do to be elected, get paid and then abdicate responsibility by throwing it back squarely onto the shoulders of those, who elected you to do that very same job!
BEAUTIFULLY SAID CASSY
I agree wholeheartedly.
We need more outspoken Dominicans, especially when the comments are positive.
I agree with most of what you said on the vagrant issue.
Regarding the night landing issue, I think the government was short on it’s homework. There are obviously certain elements and complexities about night landing that were not considered.
For example, many folks ask “how is it possible that the Liat flight landed for the inaugural ceremony but since then the company has refused to land after sunset?” Well the fact of the matter is that there are at least two different ways of landing an airplane and these methods are accompanied by varying degrees of difficulty and safety. It is possible (just my assumption) that the inaugural night landing flight was difficult and very risky and was done as a favor to the Dominican government.
However, on a regular basis this landing method may not be possible and at night one can imagine that the risk increases significantly. This is definitely something the planners should hav been aware of. So it is possible that the airline companies were not including in the planning stage – a critical mistake.
With that said, the government certainly does not benefit by just saying “we implemented night landing”, because as we can plainly see, the sh*t hit the fan and ended up on their face. So I believe that they were genuinely mis-informed about the nuances on implementing night landing at Melville Hall. Either that or they are more arrogant than many of us anticipated!
nice!!!! i like that!!! very objective
WOW !!!!!!
A good one John!
On the vagrants issue, I agree with you wholeheartedly. Nuff said.
On the night landing/Caricom Airways story, I feel lied to.Night landing I feel it was rushed just so the government could say they implemented it. It would have been implemented anyway, why not wait on the ECCAA to give them all what they needed to have LIAT landing regularly after sunset.
On crime in Wesley, the area is predominantly agricultural. Weed is the new “cash crop”, I’m not in anyway supporting it but i am saying give the youth a viable means of financially supporting themselves and their family in the community. Not everyone wants to work in Roseau.
what i do not understand is how we young people so willingly, painstakingly will plant, nurture and harvest their weed and will not do so for a viable, legal cash crop…hmmm?! Could not the effort be put in that direction and create honest jobs for themselves and their friends?
Let me tell you why ‘we young people, go for weed rather than legal cash crops’.
1. WEED DON’T SPOIL
2. The users and abusers pay whatever it costs to get that weed. Unlike the vegetables on a shelf in a grocery store; the lettuce, celery, parsley and the likes…you see people picking them up, turning and twisting them watching the price and putting it back thinking it is too expensive. What happens next is that the purchasing officer will see that and cut back on purchases or not buy the products that don’t sell. OR in the worst case scenario, try to buy it for next to nothing from the farmers and that discourages the farmers because their hard work is going in vain. THEN THEY TURN TO WEED!
3. Weed can survive with less nurturing than vegetables. You can go up in the heights, clear an area, plant some weed and come back months after and it will still be there! I know of guys who spend months in jail and as soon as they are out they head straight to one of their spots to harvest.
I could go on with more reasons but those are the basic facts.
Mr. Focker,
Overall, this piece is not bad. I need to comment on a few things though:
1. Issue of Vagrancy – I think prevention is always much better than cure. We need to have programs in place (substance abuse programs for example) that could help folks before they get to that point.
Secondly, you said: “Relatives of these people should be cautioned by law enacted in parliament that if they do not keep their relatives off the street, provide a place of accommodation and care for their health, they will face imprisonment or a fine.” Question: how many people in DA do you know that are equipped to deal with mentally ill relatives? You cannot legislate something like that.
2. Night landing – Yep! Government is to be blamed but I also hold LIAT accountable for allowing the inaugural flight knowing full well that things were not in place. They endangered people lives unnecessarily.
Nice piece Focker..respect.
If this is true then there should be an investigation to find of if the Government, by allowing the flights to operate at night, exposed the passengers to unnecessary risque.
keep in mind that the airport is still lacking the vital navigational aids to allow airlines to safely operate into and out of Melville hall.
I couldnt have said it any better!!!
Well said especially the latter since I myself made a comment with regards to the the silence of G Shillingford’s and C Saverin’s silence.I am a Canefeild resident. I have since revisted my post and thank all who is/has been in agreement with me. Thanks for the support. The green thumbs are in the majority. One love
please people stop comparing dominica with those other counties.
they have their own problems to solve and we need to try solving our
own problems so that the country can move on, that’s why we can never
come out from where we are we look to much on other countries while they progress.
Thank you. I was thinking teh same. We compare DA too much to other countries especially developing ones especially when it suits us.
Great article on the current state of the union, i approve.
lol … that’s so not skerrit ..