By George Henry, Gleaner WriterSPALDINGS, Clarendon:
THE RURAL town of Christiana was paid a visit by the members of the anti-vending unit in the Jamaica Constabulary Force recently as they continue their efforts to rid the island's streets of vendors.
The group consisted of more than 20 police officers, supported by members of the Municipal Police unit in Manchester. They arrived at the Christiana market just after mid-day in a Coaster bus, a Jeep and a pick-up truck as part of their unit.
Their arrival in the town of Christiana sent scores of vendors, who were peddling their wares on Wildman Street and in the yard of the market, running in various directions as they made attempts to prevent their goods from being seized.
However, not all the vendors were lucky.
Some members of the unit searched a few vendors, who appeared suspicious, but came up with nothing illegal. A number of vendors voiced their disgust with the frequent visits being paid by the anti-vending unit.
"Dem come here yesterday, cut up the stalls them, run we into the market, seize some of us goods and them still come back today. Is what them want with Christiana people? What we do why them coming here so often? Dem nuh satisfy with what they have been doing to us since them started coming here in March,' questioned one vendor.
Bertram Young, who has been selling in the Christiana market for more than five years and who now sells in the yard at the facility told The Gleaner that he had nothing against the authorities trying to get the vendors off the street. But, he questioned the reason behind the police's effort to get them to desist from selling in the yard.
According to him vendors should be allowed to sell in the yard, once they are not blocking the driveway.
Sergeant Farquharson, of the Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF), based at Harman Barracks, told The Gleaner that the presence of the anti-vending unit in towns across the island came out of a directive from the government to get vendors to sell in areas prescribed for that purpose.
He said that their effort is to remove all vendors from the street, the driveway of markets, as well as from the entrance to the facilities.
"We are not regulating what goes on inside of the market. Our main function is to remove them from the street and get them to do their business inside the facility provided for them,' said Sergeant Farquharson.
Sergeant Farquharson pointed out that he was impressed with the co-operation of many of the vendors but the few who have been putting up some amount of resistance were being dealt with, within the ambits of the law.
He promised that the unit would continue to visit Christiana, Spaldings and all towns where street vending is a problem until the illegal practice is stamped out.
