Cops launch ‘Operation arrest vagrants’ in PoS

The exercise was earmarked to begin at 8 pm last night.

Officers were told that their duties included arresting all vagrants on the streets of Port-of-Spain.

Even those persons involved in washing vehicles on the streets were earmarked for arrest.

The "Operation arrest vagrants" exercise was the first ever conducted by police officers.

Under the Summary Offences Act Chapter 11:02, vagrancy is an offence.

Anyone who is arrested for that offence and is taken before a magistrate and is of an unsound mind, can be sent to the St Ann’s Hospital for 14 days for observation and report.

Police officers who were scheduled to begin the exercise, last night complained yesterday that while the idea is a good one to clear the streets of vagrants, they were not given the proper vehicles, clothing and gloves to carry out those duties. Newsday learnt that a committee set up to provide recommendations for the vagrancy problem has already started taking vagrants to the St Ann’s Hospital for treatment.

Most of the vagrants in Port-of-Spain are homeless people who are of an unsound mind.

It is estimated that the city of Port-of-Spain has the largest number of vagrants who occupy certain areas in the city. A similar exercise to rid the streets of Port-of-Spain of illegal vending is also expected to commence shortly.