Chief environmental health officer Anthony Scotland has called for a review of the nation’s Litter Act and said the presence of vagrants in Roseau must be addressed expeditiously.
This, as the authorities seek to address the environmental conditions in Roseau, which according to Scotland, have “completely deteriorated.”
“Actually, we have a system in place to enforce this act and over the years it has proved not to be workable … we cannot get adequate results,” Scotland said.
According to Scotland, Dominica has a lot of laws but a culture to enforce these laws is absent. “We have failed in enforcing the Litter Act,” he said bluntly at a press conference on Wednesday.
He said enforcement of environmental laws is going to be emphasized as one of the strategies in moving forward. “One of the emphasis we are going to put in is the enforcement of laws, issuance of notices to people who are creating problems in the environment and we need to get a stronger relationship with our court system,” Scotland said.
He said the environmental department has many cases before the courts but they are being “postponed and postponed and postponed” and this, he said, comes at a cost to the government.
Concerning the presence of the large amount of vagrants in Roseau Scotland said it is a difficult issue because some are mentally challenged but it must dealt with. “Vagrants is not an easy thing to deal with,” he remarked. “Some people might be talking that they have their human rights and all sort of things but you cannot afford to have a town of loose vagrants going up and down, creating problems for you and the environment. It is a problem we must address in Dominica quickly.”
He said efforts will be made to “link up” with drug awareness units and the psychiatric unit to deal with the matter.
The so called good citizens fail to grow cojones authorities who violate our laws blatantly at that.No D/can seeks to nor have the desire to address the open corruption disregard for the law & constitution of the land, which according to the patriots, have “completely deteriorated.”
“Actually, we have a system in place to enforce this act and over the years it has proved not to be workable … we cannot get adequate results as peeps are too caught up in their own little side-kick corrupt acts, the drugs, to name one prominent one.
According to patriots, Dominica has a lot of laws but a culture of being hypcrits, these laws become useless. “We have failed in enforcing the anti -corruption laws,” they say bluntly behind closed doors.
It is said laws of the land must be emphasized as one of the strategies in moving forward. “One of the emphasis we are going to put in is the enforcement of laws, issuance of notices to people who are corrupt to the bone/core and we need to get a stronger response from our court system,” It is said.
The police and legal system department has many cases before the courts but they are being “postponed and postponed and postponed” and hijacked by the bias opportunistic laywers.
Concerning the presence of the large amount of vagrants in in gov’t Sit is said it is a difficult issue because some are greedy opportunistic and to a large degree ethically challenged hence must dealt with. “Vagrants in Gov’t, is not an easy thing to deal with everyone agrees and remark. “Some people might be talking that they have their human rights and all sort of things but you cannot afford to have a cabinet of loose vagrants and planning to going up again for election, creating problems for you and the country. It is a problem we must address seriously.
First, the government need to place garbage receptacles on every corner and have them emptied two or three times daily hence creating another job. Secondly, put in place visible notices and charges for littering. First offenders community service by cleaning the streets for 100 days, second offenders are slapped with a $500.00 fine and third offenders fined $1000.00 any time after this is jail time.
With Laws comes IMPLEMENTATIONS. Employ individuals who themselves loves cleanliness and do not believe in kickbacks. I let Dominica almost 40 years ago; I have been back many times; whenever i read these thing on Dominica, i feel so ashamed. I spent my teen years at school in Roseau; I cannot remember Roseau being that way. Dominicans everyone of you is responsible for keep this -Nature Island of the Caribbean- Clean! Show the pride, be Ambassadors. It is yours/ours to Respect and cherish! When my friends, associates and colleagues visit Dominica because I encourage them; either on Cruises or to stay longer, I want when they return to say they did enjoy Dominica and will make it their regular travel destination. i do not like what follows; However,”the City (Roseau) should be cleaned up, too much garbage all over the place”!!!!
THe city of Roseau is a quaint towm, because of the French influence and design, it was voted last year with other cities for the architectural design, along with some other places in the world,i have travelled alot, Roseau is lovely, but DIRTY, IT NEEDS TO BE CLEANED UP TOO MUCH PEOPLE BEGGING, TOO MUCH PEOPLE WITH THINGS CRAMMED ON THE SIDE WALK THE COBBLE STONES ARE NICE, BOT THINK ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT,customer service is terrible,tourist complain about the place,KEEP ROSEAU CLEAN.
only one of the boys ….and i hope he save them all, by sticking to doing something. trust me, and i am sure others when they say “the shitty has hit the fan”
faith hope and love ………dominica!
We hear the same “talk talk” every year. This should have been sorted out before tourist season. Next talk will be how cruise ships are pulling out of Dominica because of “fuel costs”. (Rubbish – they have to pass Dominica to get to other islands)
Why does nobody actually take action. What improvements have been made in Roseau since last year to benefit tourists?
I have seen tourists frightened already in town by the vagrants. You have to remember that foreigners are not accustomed to being confronted by beggars and will be embarrassed or scared to tell them to go away.
Dominica scored second to last in the tourist ratings last year, the ministers expressed disappointment, but if nothing has been done about the vagrants, rubbish, stray dogs, etc then how are we going to get improved results?
And apart from the tourists, the people of Dominica deserve to be able to shop in a clean environment without being harassed.
Chief environmental health officer Anthony Scotland, you seem quite frustrated. A study of your history is my prescription for this sense of frustration you exhibit. Blame it on the terrain (the mountains) if you will, but the predominant cultural influence that has affected our social development in Dominica is what the Bushmaninda refer to as the Negre Mawon Syndrome. This Negre Mawon Syndrome is to a great degree responsible for that resilience, that indomitable strength of will, that ability to recreate one’s self and to make do with what is available and yes, that sense of individual independence that is the hallmark of the Dominican. On the other hand, this Negre Mawon Mentality has proven antithetical to civic development. If you can get around my parked car, no matter the inconvenience, do it and shut-up, I can turn my back and take a pis, what it to you, it not on your land. The idea that “no law, no constitution and stop me” is the essence of the Negre Mawon Mentality. Public Servant, this thing you so aptly describe in your comment is a part of the culture. Most Dominicans will take offense with the notion that the dominant cultural proclivities inhibit civic development, but unless and until Dominica comes to grips with this reality, the frustration will continue. The Bushmaninda believe that with an enlighten leadership in all all areas- social, political, religious, education economic- Dominica can social engineer its self out of the Negre Mawon Syndrome which has proven to be the bane of its development
When will the government get serious about putting some funding into social service programs for the so-called vagrants? So many of them are suffering from mental illness and substance abuse. They need programs, medication, housing and care. They need job training programs to help them regain their sense of dignity. Someone, please help before it is too late!
A very simplistic solution no doubt coming from a simpleton.
It is a shame when in 2013 we have partial illiterates in Gov’t and by products of poverty who have become lairs/lawyers defend them (minus the rich one).
Roseau is an absolute mess.Vagrants,vendors,filth,
dirty gutters.Come on Mr.Mayor,Parliamentary Rep.
get up off your fat butts and do what you’re paid to do.
You forgot stupid don’t care politicians.
Scotland, what happen to that big contract you singed with this nonexistent recycling company you said was based in Solvang California on national Television in Dominica?
By now you should not be having any problems with littering since all of your disposable waste were supposed to be bought by this so called non-existing company which you and the CEO Grenada born lady said was located North of Santa Barbara.
How come we have not yet seen you exporting Dominica garbage to America?
Neither you nor this fake CEO knew the Wesley kid, this great detective here would have went and spy out this great recycling plant location and address which turned out to be somebody’s residence.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!
Oh, what a thing!
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
Fete,
He will tell U it was an office home based if you found out it was a dwelling house Oui!
Mr Scotland I would rather if you focus on matter of environmental health and let the other responsible entities deal with the vagrant issues. They are more than the Dept can deal with. I recall Mr Scotland talking about an Environmental Health policy to be put in place by 2030.If this is how long we have to wait for a policy then our environment will be so degraded that we will not be able to live around developed areas because the amount of garbage, shit(excreta) mosquitoes and rats, contaminated air, dirty rivers and sea, polluted water, un-wholesmoe food, and more that we will have we will not be able to survive in it. We need to start right now. When one person will have been prosecuted under the Litter Act than will we begin to see a change in peoples behaviour. We keep passing laws without enforcement mechanisms to support those laws. Time the legal draftsmen in the ministry of legal affairs and the Attorney Generals office get up and start doing something to change the poor state of affairs with the establishment of regulations and their enforcement.
By then(2030) we would have become the denatured isle of the world.Medard might be an aging ( seeing he has aged rapidly from 2004- present at 40 he can’t walk a mile) dictatorial P.M like Mubarak was
And the stray dogs too. Every sidewalk to pass full of doh s@!#
stray politicians and aides too who behave like stray dogs
It was about time. Thank God. I suspect all of this contributed to the cruise line pulling out of Dominica. Recently a tourist approached me, saying “tell this man to leave me alone” when I looked, I saw it was a vagrant harrassing the poor tourist who seemed scared. I hope that this tourist did not launch a complaint. Another issue is those sick looking dogs that are all over the place messing up the street. Who is really incharge. Put those animals to sleep if their owner abandon them. I a watching.
Once it was Eddie et Al who were on stange and incharge.Now it is a DLP takeover by DFPites who are with one from the old guard the one in health what a contradiction health vagrants, DOGS POLITICIAN THEIR AIDES LAWYERS ETC
So what about the vendors and their littering and blocking of pavements and side streets? I am waiting for a press statement on that. So far it’s the big bad private sector and now the poor little vagrants being attacked as the causes for all of Roseau’s problems. stewps.
I know, right? You have to move around some of them to pass. Smh
The laws are there. Enforce them, if they do not have enough teeth then get them changed. This is ridiculous.
Really hope something is done
I agree 100%
I cannot go on Bayfront for 5 minutes to have conversation without being interrupted by a vagrant
Seems 99% of Roseau or maybe DA are vagrants it would seem lol! Relating to ur piece.
Please why dont u all just go get up allu lazy butts and do the jobs that u r being paid to do monthly instead of jus yapping all over the place and blaming everyone else instead of taking responsibility. Its always this isnt working, this Unit is not doing this, come on…U R I CHARGE! COLLABORATE, REPORT, TAKE ACTION, DO SOMETHING INSTEAD OF CALLING PRESS CONFERENCES…TO WAT END? Tomorrow it will be the same…See how long we have a Medical Act 1930s and no public servant in charge has seen the need to develop a new one…same goes for all the other Acts on the books which are dated, Traffic, Environmental Health (no food processing laws..anyone can make something in their kitchen and bring it to the supermarket to sell), Rent Control, Physical Planning, Housing, Forestry (we call our self the Nature Isle but yet still ppl are given planning permission to build in our rivers – ck Portsmouth, Dos D’Anne, Castle Comfort, Roseau, Massacre, etc. Then they blame the Government, you are the Technical ppl, u have to give the Government Ministers (who can be a bus driver one day and a Minister of Communications or Public Works after election day) information and guide them in their decision makin process. And those fly by nite Ministers need to accept the fact that they dont know every thing and in some cases n e thing…U think Obama knows everything, he has advisers and Secretary of Defense, State, etc who provide him with the facts so he can make informed decisions on what needs to be done for the good of all! They shld stop doing things for votes and instead do it for the good of the all citizens…this place and the Technical ppls are starting to get on my nerves. My fellow Dominicans we are all in this boat that we profess to love…lets us put our hearts, hands and minds together and work together for a better DOMINICA AND GET UR BUTTS OF TH0SE CHAIRS AND OUT OF THE OFFICES AND GO DO THE WORK THAT U R BEING PAID EVERY MONTH TO DO and that includes the Mayor, stop going on radio and TV and talk and making it a personal take the dam law breakers to court and if u cant find justice there bc the system takes for ever, then take it to the ppl!
There is hope for Dominica after all. Very refreshing comment – I was beginning to think that we had all now lost our sense of reason in this country! I wish people like you who speak up so openly and truthfully in the interest of country first could use your names – but I understand the vindictive climate in Dominica today – but well said!
Agree could not agree more.Their attitude, behaviour reputation utterances is load withvile and evil deeds.Not fit to clean the very streets filled of vagrants which is a manifestation of our false heads of state.These guys and gals need to be burnt at the stake. Useless unfit corrpt byproducts of butt chambreand profound poverty.
Grea. One of the things needed to be addressed is that wooden structure on Great George Street accross from the tire store where theses vagrants go to sleep and do ‘other things’. It is a definite health hazard.
Garbage should be picked up every evening in the city and the drains should be flushed every morning.
Why drains have to be flushed every morning?Why not take care of the problem that causes the drain to be flushed.Start handing out citations.Roseau people to damn nasty
And the vagrants will soil it in between, while the politicians screw it up more functionally.
God is good everytime and everytime good is good. he give up on this mantra it look like. lol
Heard god told him do not call his name in his corruption lol
How comes it’s only during the tourist season that these people only realize how dirty and disorganized Roseau really is? What happens to the rest of the year? This should be an on going campaign year round not just for carnival and tourist season. Get your acts together.
scotti after all this time all you still talking about litter act and vagrants in roseau. yeah i always know is roseau that is dominica… the idea of centralzation is still in all you colonial minds… but vagrants will always be a problem unless all you create employment, and support all the drug dealers all you harboring in this country. as for the litter act all you really untidy in dominica; insufficient litter bins, insufficient public awareness, insufficient signage, lazy leadership and lack of direction from government…ALL YOU HAVE NO STRATEGY, NO IEA HOW TO DEAL WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH… JUST TALK… and if talk could make a act but alas… that is the next level we moving to…
LOL
Urs coming from ur butt Poom.How stupid!
You are a vocal vagrant poom.
This is not just an issue for the environmental health organisation. The courts,police, mental health institution and drug and alcohol abuse people all need to be involved.I remember saying a long that these vagrants and rubbish all over the place was a bad image for the “NATURE ISLAND”.how can we claim to be an island of nature and wellness when the country and it,s people are in such a state. I am therefor calling on the ministry responsible to create a task force to tackle this problem head on. one more thing instead of the police going way up to the mountain to harass dem fellas that planting a little weed to survive, they should have a stronger presence in Roseau to deal with crime and vagrants and issue fines to those dumping rubbish on the streets.
A home has to be built for them, where they can get care and be rehabilitated, and they cannot get out as they want…I think a home would help…because some families cannot handle these persons..
Please remember Vagrants are people, and their situation must be addressed thoughtfully and in the most humanitarian way too.
Remember you could have been one, and can become one of them. All it takes is one bout of wrongly diagnosed chemical imbalance as schizophrenia, or temporary debilitating illness and voir-la, you’re it. We know how insensitive and backward some of you are.
It is better to leave the people alone if you hot-heads just want to truck them away like Nazis. Some are troublesome yes, but they are our people!
The Grotto Home for the Homeless is overwhelmed, not only caring for forty vulnerable residents in a derelict temporary building but feeding some fifty street people every night. We do not currently have the capacity to work with the special needs of those with mental problems or those who are abusing substances. We need the general public, the Government and Funding agencies to assist us in building the new shelter in Belle Vue Rawle. There we will employ social workers to help manage and rehabilitate the residents and will hopefully be able to reduce the number of hopeless neglected individuals on the street.