Council trying to move homeless from park
YOUR correspondent To Kin-yi raised concern about the Urban Council's Battery Street sitting-out area being occupied by street-sleepers (South China Morning Post, November 7).
We are aware of the likelihood of homeless people occupying such public pleasure grounds. Apart from monitoring the situation, we have been carrying out joint operations with other government departments to tidy up the venues and clear them of street-sleepers.
Since January this year, a total of 122 clearance operations have been carried out at problem venues in the Yau Tsim district.
In addition, the Social Welfare Department, has, at our request, sent their case workers to the Battery Street sitting-out area to provide counselling service to the street-sleepers with a view to persuading them to seek proper abode in the shelters purposely built for them.
The Social Welfare Department has been urged to continue offering its assistance in this respect.
As regards drug addicts in the venue, we have brought to the police's attention the possibility of illegal activities. We trust your correspondent will likewise report to the police any such suspected illegal activities.
We thank Mr To for bringing the matter to our attention and we can assure him that every effort will be made to eliminate this problem and to maintain the venue for its intended usage.
If Mr To has any further suggestions, he can contact Stephen Leung, our district amenities officer (Yau Tsim) on 302 1278.
