Police crack down on beggars

THE incidence of children begging on the streets has increased in the last few months.
Some children can be confined to a few square feet of pavement for an entire day, begging for cash. At midday on Wednesday May 6, the temperature was 30ºC+ in some areas, yet a gipsy sat begging with a young baby. “There is no one at home to look after her,” she said: “If I stay at home there will be no money for food.” She knows the police will move her on but she can probably stay long enough to feed herself, her five-year-old daughter and her baby.
This particular instance was in Alicante City but the problem of begging with children is worsening in other large towns including Benidorm and Gandia as well as throughout the Northern Costa Blanca.
Alejandro Novella, from Foundation Secretariado Gitano, said: “Our organisation provides a service for such people. We can take them to centres where they can eat and wash. Most of them know they are not allowed to have a child with them while begging. But perhaps not all are familiar with the law, and such incidents can occur.”
Last year in the city there were 616 police interventions related to begging, of which 569 were organised groups.vice for such people. In most instances we can accompany them to centres where they can have something to eat and where there are bathing facilities. And most of them know they are not allowed to have a child accompany them while begging on the street. However, when they are new to the city, perhaps not yet familiar with the law, such incidents can occur.”
Alicante’s Councillor for Security Juan Seva said: “Begging in the streets with children is totally banned and we are stepping up surveillance to control the situation.”
Last year in the city of Alicante there were 616 police interventions related to begging, of which 569 were organised groups who station beggars strategically outside supermarkets, car parks and restaurants.