JEDDAH, 30 August 2005 — The Passport and Immigration Department is at odds about how to capture beggars on Al-Moraba (Square) Bridge after several have been killed or injured in recent years while being pursued.
The bridge provides 12 possible escape routes, eight of which lead directly on to Madinah Road and its eight lanes below. One passports officer explained that those making their escape down the bridge’s lanes place both themselves and innocent motorists at risk.
“When the lookouts see us coming, they sometimes have time to decide which route is the safest, but when we are able to surprise them, they are so frantic to escape that they risk being struck and killed by motorists,” said one officer whose beat includes Al-Moraba Bridge.
He explained: “They are so afraid of going to jail and being deported that they lose their minds when they see us approaching. I remember in one case we chased one beggar up a building. When he reached the top and we saw that he was preparing to jump, we backed off. Chasing them on the streets is not the solution either because the results often prove to be fatal. Many policemen and beggars have been run down.”
Ultimately, the decision whether to give chase is left up to the individual officer, but many, according to this source, prefer not to, as responsibility in the event of an accident falls on the officer’s shoulders.
“Suppose I chase someone and he runs into the traffic and gets killed. What have I achieved? I have contributed to killing someone’s child, spouse, sibling or parent. On more than one occasion, innocent motorists have been injured in accidents while swerving to avoid beggars who were trying to escape. Apart from the personal guilt that I would feel, I would be held accountable by my superiors and eventually, by Allah. Besides, when a beggar is taken off the streets, another one will show up in his or her place as soon as we leave. It’s a lost cause,” he said.
The officer invited Arab News to follow him as he made his pass over Al-Moraba Bridge in his marked Passports and Immigration Department jeep. The moment the jeep was spotted by the beggars and street peddlers, they were off, running frantically down the bridge in all directions. “I suppose we could surround the bridge in a well-planned tactical assault, but I am sure they would try to jump onto cars passing below in order to escape,” he said.
Interviewing one of the beggars on the bridge has proven to be a challenge since approaching them is virtually impossible. The moment they see an unfamiliar face on the bridge or anyone not in a car, they raise alarm and begin a hasty retreat.
An Arab News reporter recently watched as two young beggars, one carrying another, narrowly avoided being struck by oncoming traffic as they ran when he attempted to photograph them.
