This week we went about Georgetown and asked people for their thoughts on the measures the authorities should implement to remove vagrants from the streets. Their responses follow:
Interviews and photos by Neola Damon and Feona Morrison
Colin Welcome, public sector employee – ‘I believe that they should find a place to put them, because all of them are not junkies. I know that the majority are not insane but need help.’
Donna Stanford, vendor – ‘I think that they should build a place and get the right doctors to treat them because Berbice mad house is far. They should find a place right in Georgetown to accommodate them. I remember the government was building a place for these people around the World Cup tournament. I don’t know what became of it.’
Denise Hercules, vendor – ‘I believe that they should get them off the road because they are a threat to themselves and others. I remember when that junkie hit that little school boy in his head and persons beat him. We should try to prevent that kind of incident in the future.’
Kimberly Karim, salesperson – ‘I think that they should find a place to accommodate them, because it is not safe to have them out there and it does not look good.’
Colin Reese, electrical contractor – ‘I think that they should find facilities to assist their situation because some of them are not junkies — for example the Dharm Shala. Some of them are out there because of financial problems; put them in a home and find jobs for them. Put the junkies in one home and the destitutes in another home.’
Lestor Jackson, public sector employee – ‘I think that they should build a big facility where doctors can assist them and give them the right medication to make them better.’
Marcia Shanks, student – ‘I think that the government should use taxpayers’ money to help build a facility, because they are spending money to build elaborate hotels. Look how many people paying tax; tax to import and export and still the vagrants are wandering around in the city. They should have proper social programmes; if we do not have that there will always be children and vagrants on the streets. The education system is a mess. What happened to no child left behind? When most children reach Grade 6 they do not have the knowledge to pass the exam so they end up leaving school and they end up on the streets. Organisations like the YMCA and YWCA should get involved.’
Kenny Vallet, unemployed – ‘I think that they should find a place for them because they are not contributing anything to the society. They should have counselling sessions with them to show them what is right from wrong.’
Berthwick Charles, plumber – ‘I think that they should build a home to accommodate these persons because if you are walking on the road, some of them would hit you. Some of them are not crazy but homeless.’
Lester Williams, public sector employee – ‘They should open a facility for homeless persons where the government can assist them financially. They should launch countrywide campaigns to remove the vagrants and also notify the family members of the vagrants. They have a lot of talented, well educated persons on the streets. Some of them are out there because they have been thrown out of good homes for their bad behaviours like smoking.’
