Commentary

Dealing with the homeless

THE SO-CALLED mad men on the streets of Kingston seem to grow in number each and every day. They live on the sidewalks, in the drains and in our lives. They are a risk to every motorist, every pedestrian, every child on his way to school. Why then, are they allowed to remain on the streets?

In Jamaica, there is a tendency to do nothing about an issue of concern until some harm comes to someone. The threat that these homeless people pose is real. There have been incidents where vehicles have collided in an attempt to avoid hitting a homeless person wandering aimlessly on the streets, homeless people have been known to attack unsuspecting pedestrians, and they have also been known to sexually assault women.

There is no time like the present for someone, whether it be the private sector or the private sector and Government to create a place of safety for these homeless people, most of whom also suffer for mental conditions.

They need to be protected from further harm, but even more importantly, we need to be protected from them.