Sharjah Police remind residents not to engage with beggars

Sharjah: The Sharjah Police General Command has urged members of the public to avoid engaging with or soliciting beggars, in addition to not communicating or physically touching them in any way, in order to preserve their health and safety — especially in light of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As many as 730 beggars have been arrested and deported during the pandemic. Sharjah Police further revealed that over the past five months, the issue of begging has declined in the emirate.

Members of the public were advised not to sympathise with beggars in any form, as they may be a source of infection and the spread of diseases.

The public was also alerted to the fact that often, those soliciting beggars have found themselves being cheated or victimised by unscrupulous elements posing as beggars.

Sharjah Police urged community members to support the efforts made by the security services to eliminate such negative phenomenon from society. Members of the public were urged to cooperate with the security services by promptly reporting any beggar spotted in residential neighbourhoods or in front of shops and mosques, or anywhere in the emirate by dialling toll-free numbers 901 or 80040 of the Sharjah Police Operations Room.

Last week, Major General Saif Ziri Al Shamsi, Commander-in-chief of Sharjah Police, had appealed to the authorities concerned to stop issuing visit visas to certain categories of applicants during forthcoming Ramadan, in an attempt to stop the spread of COVID-19 and to prevent activities such as begging.

Sharjah Police have warned the public not to fall for beggars this Ramadan, even as the authorities are ramping up patrols to tackle the issue on the emirate’s streets.