Duhok police expand anti-begging campaign across public spaces

DUHOK, Iraq — Police in Duhok have intensified patrols at traffic lights, markets and other public areas as part of an expanded campaign against begging, the provincial directorate of police said. Directorate spokesman Captain Heymen Suleiman said operations are being conducted daily, with officers deployed to locations where beggars are most active. Suleiman acknowledged that police cannot maintain a constant presence at every site because of other security duties, and called on residents to refrain from giving money to beggars. He said previous operations had shown that some people caught begging were not genuinely destitute, contrary to their claims. The spokesman added that begging is a crime under Iraqi law and that the campaign's success depends on cooperation between the public and security forces.