I was recently invited to a meeting to discuss the issue of vagrants and how they have made the graveyards along Shirley Street their home away from home.

These unfortunate souls strew garbage among other things throughout graveyards when they sleep there.

By day we see them roaming the neighbourhood.

These people are either drug addicts or have psychological issues or both are also accused of breaking and entering private property to steal to support their drug habits. Or maybe just to survive.

Ideas for closing off sacred graveyards so relatives must be escorted on site were advanced.

Exacerbating the problem are two or three alleged drug houses in the area.

Understandably the neighbours just want rid of the problems.

Families involved just hang up on social services we're told as they've become so frustrated with their vagrant relative.

So what is the answer or answers?

Put up a tent city? Where?

Provide drugs to the vagrants so they don't need to steal for a fix?

Close the drug houses or legalise drugs?

There are obviously more questions than answers far above my pay grade or experience at this early stage of the discussion.

Suffice it to say these vagrants are humans too so how should they be dealt with?

A good starting place might be for us all to read the Vagrancy Act to determine its strengths and weaknesses. Download VagrancyAct_1 here…