Ohio Governor Sends State Troopers To Boost Security At Springfield Schools

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced on Monday that he is sending Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers to be stationed at each of the Springfield school district’s 18 buildings “beginning tomorrow and continuing for the foreseeable future.”

The move is in response to multiple schools in Springfield recently having to be evacuated following a series of bomb threats. The threats began after former President Donald Trump; his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio; and their allies started spreading the blatantly racist lie that the city’s Haitian immigrants are eating people’s pets and posing a danger to other residents ― a baseless smear that Springfield officials warn is contributing to increased hostility against the town. The Republican governor did not mention Trump nor Vance in his announcement.

“Many of these threats are coming in from overseas, made by those who want to fuel the current discord surrounding Springfield. We cannot let the bad guys win,” DeWine said in a statement. “We must take every threat seriously, but children deserve to be in school, and parents deserve to know that their kids are safe. The added security will help ease some of the fears caused by these hoaxes.”

About 36 troopers with the OHSP’s Mobile Field Force will provide “added security” to the schools by sweeping each building for threats before students and staff arrive and staying on campus throughout the school day and during dismissal, according to the governor. None of the threats so far have been legitimate, DeWine said, but the increased security is “purely as a precaution” so schools are prepared.

In the wake of the threats and the newfound attention on Springfield, Haitian residents reported that they feel unsafe, some of them opting to