Boots Raises Serious Concerns About Citizen Security in Port Loyola

As we reported at the top of our newscast, a well-known street figure was executed in the Jane Usher Boulevard neighborhood on Wednesday night.  The deadly attack on Troy Hyde, which also claimed the life of fifteen-year-old Lamisha Moody, came just a few weeks ahead of the March sixth municipal elections and it is believed that his murder is gang related.  Earlier this week, former Port Loyola Area Representative Anthony ‘Boots’ Martinez raised concerns about citizen security in that part of Belize City considering that polling stations for two adjacent constituencies have been designated along Faber’s Road.  Those constituencies are also homes to rival gangs that may come into contact with each other on Election Day.  Here’s how Martinez puts it.

 

Anthony ‘Boots’ Martinez, Former Area Rep, Port Loyola

“This issue is with Elections & Boundaries and the Chief Elections Officer’s recommendation as to have a polling station da Port Loyola.  Excelsior being a polling station da Port Loyola.  My number one concern is citizen security, but apart from that, Excelsior High School is separated by a fence with St. John Vianney and Excelsior High School sits in the Queen Square constituency.  Two thousand and nine people are asked from the Jane Usher Boulevard area to go to Excelsior to vote.  One thousand, four hundred and forty people need fu pass through the same area fu go da Muslim School fi vote.  One thousand, six hundred and odd people who vote in Queen Square are asked to go to St. John Vianney to vote.  Yoh cyant get wahn hundred yard line, wahn hundred yard barrier from Excelsior to St. John Vianney, so da weh kinda case yoh wah have.  Then yoh have the healthcare facility, the health clinic right beside Excelsior.  My  main concern, though, da with di various gang rivalry issues within the area.  Yoh have Gill Street, yoh have LBC, yoh have Sunset, yoh have all kinda thing.  My main concern da citizen security.  I hope that the Chief Elections Officer would really consider citizen security.  That’s my main concern.”