‘Portland, we are waiting on you’

Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie has renewed his call for the Portland Municipal Corporation (PMC) to identify lands to construct a night shelter for the homeless, to protect them from the elements and criminality.

The parish, formerly ranked as one of the most peaceful police divisions in Jamaica, has become a hotspot for violence against the mentally ill.

Four people of unsound mind have been killed in the parish since the start of the year.

“All of us here as Jamaicans must be concerned that, in the last number of weeks, at least three persons living on our streets have been murdered in the parish of Portland,” said McKenzie while speaking at the official opening of the new male ward at the Westmoreland Infirmary in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, on Wednesday.

“I want to make this appeal from one end of the island to the other, to the Portland Municipal Corporation. We have the funds in the ministry to build a shelter for the homeless population. Portland, we are waiting on you to provide the land so that we can build the facility,” added McKenzie.

When The Gleaner contacted Paul Thompson, the mayor of Port Antonio, he was unable to provide more details. However, he said he intends to meet with the stakeholders in the parish capital about a flood of new street people in the public space. Thompson also noted that plans by the municipal corporation to identify lands for the construction of the proposed drop-in centre would be escalated, going forward.

MATTER OF URGENCY

However, Wayne McKenzie, minority leader at the PMC and councillor for the Prospect division, said he welcomed the interest being shown by McKenzie and is looking forward to seeing the project become a reality.

“The minister has given us the charge to ensure that lands are identified for the night shelter, and it is the duty of the council to ensure that this is done, so that lives can be preserved and we can address the unsightliness of the town, especially at the post office and the bank,” said McKenzie.

“This is not only for the beautification of the town, but to keep them safe. The mayor and CEO (chief executive officer) are leading the process, but, as councillors, we need to join in the process to ensure that this is done as a matter of urgency.”

Since restrictions were lifted on admissions to infirmaries post the COVID-19 pandemic, Minister McKenzie said, over 300 new wards have been accepted islandwide. The new facility in Savanna-la-Mar, which was constructed at a cost of J$53 million, is 4,800 square feet. It will house 50 residents and features a doctor’s office, nurses’ station, and physiotherapy and other treatment rooms.

Currently, there are 13 infirmaries and two golden-age homes in Jamaica., while night shelters are established in most parishes.

The State has not always treated the mentally ill well, with the worst incident against them occurring on July 15, 1999, when 39 mentally ill people were collected from the streets of Montego Bay by agents of the State, who transported them by night and dumped them near a mud lake on the outskirts of Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth.