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Posted By: Marty Footprints for Peace Candle Light Walk - 03/12/14 11:26 AM
Justice for Jeffrey
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Greetings. It is our hope that this letter finds you and your place of business under the most fortunate of circumstances. As you are aware, our island was shaken with the savage murder of one of our own. In light of this, the Arceo and Eiley families are organizing a coalition against all forms of senseless violence.

It is not only our family who has been affected by this tragedy, but the community on a whole has been robbed of their peace of mind. It is in this respect, that we are inviting the community to become a part of a movement to minimize the rate of crime in the number one island of the world. Our first initiative is a "Footprints for Peace" walk to commemorate the lives of all those who have been affected by violence.

We hereby invite you and your staff to join hands with us on Thursday, March 13, 2014 at 5:30 pm at the Central Park where invited guests will give testimonies on how violence has affected our island. After the testimonies, we will proceed with a candle light walk through the main streets of San Pedro.

We thank you in advance for your support in helping the community to fight violence.
Peace starts with us, God bless you.

Mrs. Susana Arceo Eiley


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Posted By: Marty Re: Footprints for Peace Candle Light Walk - 03/13/14 10:45 AM

"Footprints for Peace"- the community is invited

With the increase in crimes happening in our San Pedro community that led to the shooting death of Jeffrey Eiley, his family and friends have joined together to partake in a coalition to restore safety within the streets of San Pedro Town. The movement is called "Justice for Jeffrey," and will see a series of events geared towards raising awareness and breaking stigmas associated with crime and violence, but will moreover be geared towards restoring compassion.

Jeffrey's violent death has brought to light what is lacking in our community, and it is the hope of his family that with the formation of the Justice for Jeffrey coalition, that sense of community and fellowship is restored.

The first event will be "Footprints for Peace" a walk through the streets of San Pedro Town to commemorate the lives of those who have fallen as a result of violence. The Eiley and Arceo family invite everyone to join them as they make footprints across the community. Those interested are asked to gather at Central Park at 5:30PM on Thursday March 13th. To kick off the walk, there will be a rally with speakers who have been affected by violence, or even lost a loved one to violence. T-Shirts will be on sale for those wishing to purchase, while others are asked to wear a purple or white top. Those attending are encouraged to bring a candle, anti-crime posters or pictures of a fallen loved one.

The walk will be the first event of many to come as the family embarks on a mission to restore peace in San Pedro. Proceeds raised from the T-Shirts will be donated to families immediately affected by violence. All are asked to join the walk.

For those interested in speaking at the rally or purchasing T-Shirts please contact Susana Eliey at 662-2121 or Natalie Arceo at 670-7030.

San Pedro Sun

Posted By: Marty Re: Footprints for Peace Candle Light Walk - 03/14/14 11:06 AM

Footprints For Peace
Despite the weather, a sizeable crowd gathered to rally for peace and Justice For Jeffrey with speeches and a march through San Pedro Town streets. More...


Posted By: Marty Re: Footprints for Peace Candle Light Walk - 03/15/14 11:01 AM

San Pedranos Want Justice For Jeffrey, And More

Last night, hundreds of San Pedranos took to the streets in a peaceful protest called, "Footprints for Peace - Justice For Jeffrey." The event was held in memory of Jeffrey Eiley, the 30 year old island resident who was killed one week ago. His father knelt in the spot where his son was shot at the Corner of Tarpon Street and Barrier Reef Drive and lamented that no one came to his aid - when he had only been shot in the arms :..

Father of Jeffrey Eiley
"This is the spot where I saw my son lay helpless. Both hands were shattered to pieces, he had no way of getting up, no way of

helping himself and there is one thing I want the general public to know, there are heartless people living and do not render help. There are heartless security guard, I don't know where they come from, I think they are criminal themselves and they do not render aid. That is another section of this whole situation where there are hard hearted people in the wee hours of the night that does not render help. When I came around the curve and Jeffrey lies here, he was by himself. People were looking on as if though it was a show, they did not rendered help. Had Jeffrey gotten some help, he could have been alive." According to the san Pedro Sun there were 400 Islanders and a number of passionate speeches from families who've lost loved ones to violence on the island. The Sun reports that they called on Government to provide necessary health facilities and amenities to ensure a more adequate response to traumatic injuries.

Channel 7


Norman Eiley speaks about the murder of his son Jeffery

Mr. Norman Eiley speaks from the spot where his son lay after suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. This took place at Footprints for Peace, a walk held against the violence plaguing the streets.


Footprints for Peace rally brings out hundreds to honor fallen victims
Exactly one week after the senseless killing of Jeffrey Eiley in San Pedro Town, hundreds of islanders marched through the streets of the island to condemn the murder and call for justice. Under the name of "Footprints for Peace - Justice for Jeffery," some four hundred islanders gathered at the San Pedro Central Park on the evening of Thursday March 13th. Several speakers called for the attention of authorities and government leaders to address the crime issue that has spiked over the past few weeks on the island while also calling upon the citizenry to rise up against violence. Present at the event were families of murder victims, as well as those who have been at the forefront of the fight against crime. Fresh from the loss of their loved one, the Arceo and Eiley families, who organized the event, were out in full force. They took the opportunity to share how the death of Jeffery has ripped their family and community apart. Pablo Garcia, who lost his father in an unsolved murder two years ago on the island, also shared the emotional difficulties it is on a family to lose someone at the hands of violence.

Hundreds Leave Footprints for Peace at Anti-Crime Rally
An overwhelming group of San Pedro residents marched down the streets of San Pedro leaving a clear message, that they want to bring back peace and safety to their homes. The rally took place on Thursday, March 13, 2014, and commenced at Central Park where over 1,000 men, women, elementary school children, high school teenagers, junior college students, and other residents of San Pedro convened to listen to powerful speeches from citizens of the Island community. Speakers included renown personalities like Dr. Javier Zuniga, Emcee Angel Nunez, Raphael Torres of San Pedro Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute (SPADAI), Kristina Romero of National Drug Abuse Control Council (NDACC), Miss San Pedro Solani Graniel, Councilor Kenrick Brackett, Area Rep. Manuel Heredia, and mother and brother of the recently murdered victim Jeffrey Eiley.

Posted By: Marty Re: Footprints for Peace Candle Light Walk - 03/17/14 10:56 AM

Editorial: It is time to stop pretending that all is well in San Pedro

My heart is very heavy and I am scared for San Pedro. We have friends killing friends, we have homeowners killing burglars, we have drug-dealing shootouts in our streets, we have cab drivers running over dogs without even slowing down, we have hustlers on the beach giving tourists the shake-down, we have thieves walking off with anything that isn't locked down with a chain, we have questionable people mysteriously disappearing, we have daily rumors about 'bodies found up north', we have iron bars on our windows, we have friends who call us at night just to make sure we got home safely and we have really scary looking dudes patrolling the streets with the hungry look of wolves licking their chops while considering a flock of sheep. I am scared for San Pedro because it feels like there is absolutely no law and order, it's a free-for-all, it's the Wild Wild West, it's Bonnie and Clyde, people behave however they damn well feel with ZERO regard for the law or for others. I am scared for San Pedro because it seems that the attitude of many is simply the 'middle finger.'

I am scared for San Pedro because we demand justice until it comes to one of our own, then we fiercely protect and defend them regardless of their grievous behavior. It's no wonder there's rarely a murder solved. Not only is it easy to leave the scene of the crime but you can count on plenty of folks helping the one in question to make good his escape. You don't have to be John McAfee to elude the law, with the help of others and a few bucks anyone can get away with murder in Belize.

We are an island, we know where the scumbags live and trade their drugs. Running them off should not be that hard, and sending the message that they and their dangerous behavior will not be tolerated should be an easy task. Everyone says we need to rally, we need to take back our streets, we need to have a peace march, we need to run off the undesirables and we need to report their crimes. Sure that is all good and well. Indeed our personal investment into making our island safe is essential to our success, but my heart is heavy for San Pedro because we don't support the ones we expect to protect us.

In the multitude of comments I hear and read on Facebook by grieving and angered islanders, not one mentions supporting our police. We treat them like second class citizens who are not worthy of living in anything but a leaky, rundown shack and they are paid such a minimal amount it's any wonder they can survive. One huge step in cleaning up this town is by empowering our police. When we treat them with the respect they deserve you can bet the respect will be reciprocated. Our first step in fighting the problems that plague our island is to lift up our police force. Let's polish them up, put a nice roof over their heads, more money in their pockets, feed them well and invest in making them a force to be reckoned with. They should be our heroes, the ones we depend on to save the day, not part of problem. The long range benefits of investing in our police force are endless and here is where our first steps should be taken in reclaiming our island.

We are still riding high as the world's No. 1 island for the second year in a row, and with such accolades come great responsibility. First and foremost we need a safe community for those of us who call Ambergris Caye home, but of equal importance is protecting our tourism. Yes our pretty face has certainly taken a beating, but we need to own our wounds, inside and out. To quote an unknown source, "Never be ashamed of a scar. It simply means you were stronger than whatever tried to hurt you." It is time to stop pretending that all is well in San Pedro. We pride ourselves in being a strong community that can pull herself up by the bootstraps, brush off the dust and carry on; now more than ever, the time has come to do just that.

San Pedro Sun

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