Vagrancy, Kingstown’s silent crisis

EDITOR: Despite the heavy downpour, I made my way into Kingstown to sell a few used textbooks. But what met me that day was more than puddles and rain – it was a harsh glimpse into a growing problem in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

On the street and side step of the former Bank of SVG on Bedford Street in Kingstown, I counted several vagrants—sleeping, soaked, and seemingly forgotten. Perhaps they didn’t realize the rain had stopped, or perhaps it no longer mattered.

Vagrancy is becoming a troubling norm in the heart of Kingstown. Business owners struggle to keep their store fronts free from loitering and harassment. Customers are being turned away—choosing to avoid town altogether for fear of an uncomfortable or even frightening encounter. These vagrants are urinating and defecating on our streets, and this indeed is raising public health and safety concerns.

I remember a personal experience I had in Kingstown in the year 2024. I had just gone to buy KFC with my family. After parking my vehicle, a vagrant approached us asking for a dollar. When I didn’t give him the money, he looked into our vehicle and said, “So much children and yuh can’t gimme me a dolla?” What followed was fear. I locked the doors and windows, then drove down the street to park outside Layne’s store, walked over the bridge to Subway, and waited until it felt safe to enter the KFC building. These moments are becoming far too common.

On Friday, July 25th, 2025, I visited the Integrated Medical Care Pharmacy in Arnos Vale – only to observe a vagrant enter the building, demanding that someone open the cooler for him. These vagrants are often seen utside Massy Supermarket in Arnos Vale, Randy’ s Supermarket and I have seen many of the vagrants, for many years, take up residence in that two-storey commercial building where the China Town Store used to be located, just opposite the Kingstown prison. This isn’t just a public nuisance any more. It’s a symptom of a deeper issue.

We have to ask ourselves:

● Do we have the resources in place to help these individuals, especially those suffering from mental illness?

● Is the rise in youth unemployment and substance abuse feeding this crisis?

● Are we turning a blind eye to those most in need?

● How can the community support these individuals?

● What role can local businesses play in helping to resolve the vagrancy issue?

A Cry for Help — and Hope

I’ve seen young men wandering aimlessly through town, many smoking unknown substances. I’ve lately been observing a man walking his dogs – dogs that seem well-fed and cared for. It made me wonder: who is caring for him?

I also observed a past teacher and many young men who are school dropouts, walking the streets of Kingstown asking for money and food.

Most of the vagrant men are often in the dirty bins.These are our people. They need food, clean clothes, access to medical care, and a sense of dignity. They need someone to care for them. They need someone to believe they are not too far gone. I heard them asking for one dollar ($1.00), but they deserve more. This is not just a government issue. It is a societal issue. It is a humanitarian crisis that needs urgent attention. But we need leadership to act.

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, we need your support. We need solutions. We need initiatives that will give these vagrants more than just a place to sleep—we need programmes that restore lives, because if we continue to ignore this crisis, the heart of Kingstown will no longer beat with the energy of a vibrant city – it will fade under the weight of neglect and fear.

Let’s choose compassion. Let’s choose action. Let’s reclaim our town—not just for businesses or visitors, but for everyone, including the forgotten.

A Concerned Citizen