PORT ANTONIO, Portland — There is now a raging debate on how best to deal with homeless people, some of them mentally ill, wandering the streets of Port Antonio. The conversation recently intensified after a mentally ill man threw a stone that killed a policeman in St Catherine, as some of those who live on the streets here are believed to be potentially dangerous.

The street people in this town on the island’s north-eastern coast can, at times, be seen in the vicinity of the post office, but the piazza of FirstCaribbean International Bank (FCIB) is their main address.

The bank’s General Manager Nigel Holness told the Jamaica Observer FCIB is willing to provide financial support, as needed, to address the persistent problem. He is particularly concerned, he said, about young female staff and clients who feel threatened when the street people become boisterous.

“We all have a challenge and all of us need to play our part to see how we can help to solve the issue. It is not easy, especially when it comes to safety of our staff and clients,” he said.

He made it clear, though, that the street people should not be harmed in any attempt to address the challenges they pose.

“We just have to be mindful of their plight and just try and navigate the difficulty that it poses,” Holness said.

The bank has had to repair damage done by the street people while struggling to keep its piazza clean, despite the almost constant presence of the unwelcome guests. It has also, in the past, provided financial support to a halfway house in an effort to get them off the streets.

“The next step obviously is getting a permanent solution for this problem which involves engaging the other stakeholders. We have spoken to the police and the municipal corporation on a number of occasions but now it is to take it to the next stage and to ensure that there is a formal plan in place to address the concern as it can’t continue as is,” said Holness.

Mayor of Port Antonio Councillor Paul Thompson agreed that the issue was “of great concern” and would be particularly challenging to address.

“We cannot touch them and we do not have a place to put them. We have been looking at ways and the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development [Desmond McKenzie], when he was last here, spoke to one of them and he responded that he is ‘not leaving’. They have various challenges and we have to work as a team to get the problem solved,” he said.

The concern has also been long shared by the local police but now their apprehension has ratcheted up a notch.

“This is of general concern to the public in Portland where the issue of homeless persons with mental illnesses are seen on the roadway, especially since the police officer [in St Catherine] was killed,” Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Troyville Haughton explained.

He added that residents have been calling for action, the police had discussed the issue internally and were aware that they would need to consult with the municipal corporation to identify the best way forward.

“I know that there are many persons who are very much concerned about it and it is not as easy to treat with as it may seem. It is not just about taking up some persons and putting them somewhere,” said DSP Haughton. “We can’t keep persons in custody without the persons being accused of or being investigated for some criminal offence. We have to proceed with the processes and engage other stakeholders who have something to do with this. And so, the discussion will be renewed and I am very hopeful we will see something positive coming out.”

The Ministry of Health and Wellness is one of the players that will need to be involved in the talks. Local health officials have provided medical care to the street people from time to time but also agree that a long-term solution needs to be found.

“Some of these persons are of unsound mind, have families, and do not want to stay at home. There are others who are not of unsound mind who don’t want to stay in an institution but see being on the street as a means of earning a living. Some have a base at nights but live on the streets in the days and do odd jobs. It is a complex situation,” said one health worker who asked not to be identified by name.

“There are two institutions — the infirmary and the rehabilitation centre — but there are criteria to be at these institutions that they do not meet, hence the complexity. Some have fallen on hard times and the institutions are full and cannot accommodate them, so I think we need another institution that can cater for those persons on the street,” the health worker added.

In addition to twice breaking the door to FCIB, the street people have reportedly also chased and shouted insults at passers-by. In April one is said to have died on a corner of the bank’s piazza after he was hit in the head with a blunt instrument. The identity of his attacker was not ascertained.