Homeless outnumber police on Kingston streets

Gary Spaulding Senior Gleaner Writer

The police were quite visible on roads that were flooded in the commercial districts of downtown Kingston and Cross Roads.

The unmistakably flashing signals of the patrol vehicles seem to be ample warnings to would-be looters.

As the waters dripped from menacingly dark skies, the patrol vehicles seemed to be just about everywhere as the police men and women braced for not only the potential looters but the onslaught of Tropical Storm Sandy, likely to strengthen into a hurricane over the next few hours.

The only persons who appeared to outnumber the police on the quiet streets, for once free of traffic, were the homeless – there were just too many of them – some able to walk, others not so fortunate.

A man spoke for the nearly 20 homeless souls who opted for the shelters of the stores on King Street near the intersection with Barry Street when they were asked why they were not in a shelter.

“We need food right now,” was his initial answer. “How can we reach up there,” he asked in reference to the National Arena, which is being used as a shelter in St. Andrew.

Safely out of the reach of threatening evening showers, only five persons made their entry into the National Arena, cuddled under sheets, as volunteers of the Red Cross played dominoes to ward of boredom, knowing that they were likely to become quite busy as the night progressed.

Nearby, an elderly woman waited with a 17 year-old boy for what appeared to be an elderly man who roamed the streets – to take him home in nearby Hannah Town.

There was another proliferation of homeless persons cuddled near the City Centre Police Station, while others sought refuge under the shelters of other store fronts Downtown as well as some plazas in Cross Roads.

gary.spaulding@gleanerjm.com