We are grateful to Mayor of Kingston Andrew Swaby for calling a spade a spade.

Too often, in our view, authoritative voices use polite language to describe disgraceful behaviour.

We are pleased that Mr Swaby minced no words at the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) monthly meeting on Tuesday when he labelled the behaviour of miscreants who foul the Nelson Mandela Park and its environs in Half-Way-Tree as “nasty and unsanitary”.

Mr Swaby said people were urinating and defecating in open spaces at the park, even though adequate toilet facilities are in place.

We agree wholeheartedly with the mayor, who took office earlier this year, that such behaviour is “unacceptable, especially given the park’s importance and the legacy of the individual it is named after, Nelson Mandela. This park must reflect the dignity and values of the global icon it honours…”

At a press conference a week earlier, Mr Swaby also found reason to condemn similar behaviour by people in the vicinity of St William Grant Park in downtown Kingston.

Back then, the mayor indicated that homeless people of unsound mind, and others, have been guilty of fouling the park named in honour of St William Grant — a hero of the 1930s movement which culminated in Jamaica’s modern trade union movement.

In relation to St William Grant Park, the mayor complained that, like Mandela Park, people were defecating and urinating in the open.

This was happening despite extended opening hours for bathrooms — which made them available “for longer periods to be used by the public…”

Inevitably, the question arises as to why properly supervised and maintained public bathrooms can’t be open 24 hours daily.

Perhaps the problem is cost? In which case, we believe resources should be found by whatever means necessary to allow it to happen. That should be the case not just in Kingston but across the country.

“Nasty, unsanitary” behaviour in our town centres underlines the concern expressed in this space a few days ago regarding the wanton dumping of garbage on the streets, in open spaces, wherever…

Those who dump illegally may choose not to believe it, but they are hardly better than those who defecate in public parks.

They, too, are “nasty” and should be told so at every opportunity.

Beyond that, opinion leaders at all levels and in every forum — at school, church, dancehall, political meeting, media, et al — need to keep telling people that cleanliness is godliness; the right way to go.

We believe we would be remiss were we to ignore another aspect of Mayor Swaby’s recent comments.

We refer to his suggestion that getting homeless people off the streets is difficult and “delicate” because of criticism that may arise.

We believe, however, that if adequate space is available in proper, publicly-run facilities then people should not be sleeping or living on the streets.

The welfare of the public, in general, should take precedence over selfish, individual desires.

If new laws are needed, or existing ones need to be amended, then let’s get it done.

Furthermore, Jamaica needs to get to the stage at which there is always decent accommodation for those who would otherwise live on the streets.

Let’s get it done.