Minister announces 'move along campaign', new facilities for socially displaced

A street dweller sprawls on the pavement on St. Vincent Street Port of Spain.

PHOTO:ANGELO M. MARCELLE
A street dweller sprawls on the pavement on St. Vincent Street Port of Spain. PHOTO:ANGELO M. MARCELLE

Social Development Minister Cherrie-Ann Crichlow-Cockburn has reported that a "move along campaign" and a temporary facility in Port of Spain were among the initiatives planned to address the issue of the socially displaced.

She was speaking with the media on Wednesday following the distribution of appointment letters for representatives of the Inter-Ministerial Research Council held at the ministry's Port of Spain offices.

She said the move along campaign was discussed with Port of Spain Mayor Joel Martinez and the mayor indicated the corporation was currently recruiting an additional 100 municipal police officers to spearheading the exercise.

"So it is one of the things we have considered and we are going to be implementing."

She recalled during the bombings in the capital city in 2005 there was a move along campaign implemented and "it worked very well." In a move along campaign, the police instruct the socially displaced to "move along."

On housing the socially displaced, she said there were immediate plans for a temporary shelter for Port of Spain in the short term. She reported two buildings were visited and they looked hopeful and the ministry was in the process of determining the suitability and what actions needed to be taken to retrofit the building.

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