Residents of Springfield, Ohio, React to Influx of 20,000 Haitians
Haitians are asking people to give them more time to adapt to a new culture, but residents worry about their safety and the drain on resources.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/residen...tered&utm_term=
By Jeff Louderback
9/14/2024
Updated: 9/15/2024


SPRINGFIELD, Ohio—They live on separate sides of Springfield, but Rhonda Zimmers and Melissa Skinner noticed gradual changes to their neighborhoods in this Ohio city midway between Dayton and Columbus, starting around three years ago.

“Longtime residents who I used to see were no longer there. They moved out, and Haitian migrants moved in. They didn’t speak English. I started to see a lot of foot traffic on the streets. And you could see a dozen or more people coming and going from the houses. It was clear there were a lot of people living in the houses,” Zimmers told The Epoch Times.

Skinner, who serves with Zimmers on the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals, observed a similar transition in her neighborhood.

“We used to know everyone, and mostly everyone got along, but then we started seeing more turnover on our street. We no longer knew many of our neighbors,” Skinner said.

“It used to be a quiet and peaceful place to live. Now, we have several houses where several Haitian families are living in a home intended for one family. And sometimes we get harassed by people who are yelling at us in a foreign language. We have to be more cautious. This is not the Springfield I once knew,” Skinner said.

A blue-collar city that saw many of its factories shut down decades ago, Springfield’s population declined to less than 60,000—until the last few years. An estimated 15,000 to 20,000 Haitian migrants have arrived here over that span.
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Residents have voiced concern and frustration over safety issues and a strain on resources. City leaders have acknowledged that changes must be made to effectively accommodate its residents and the migrants.

The conversation was mostly confined to Springfield and Clark County until the presidential debate earlier this week. At an Aug. 27 city council meeting, some residents alleged that Haitians were killing cats, dogs, ducks, and geese for food.

Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), former President Donald Trump’s running mate, said that his office had been inundated with those claims.

Vance wrote on X that “Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country.”

Early in the Sept. 10 presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump said, “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs. The people that came in, they’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there.”

City officials and police said they had not received reports of Haitians eating animals.
Springfield Strategic Engagement Manager Karen Graves told The Epoch Times earlier this week, “There have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured, or abused by individuals within the immigrant community.”

In a statement on Sept. 10, a Springfield police spokesperson said the same thing.
On Sept. 11, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost wrote in a post on X, “There’s a recorded police call from a witness who saw immigrants capturing geese for food in Springfield.”

He also noted that citizens testified to city council about incidents of Haitian migrants killing geese.

“These people would be competent witnesses in court. Why does the media find a carefully worded City Hall press release better evidence?” Yost wrote.-- excerpt, rest at link above ---- excerpt, rest at link above --

EXCLUSIVE: 'They have decided to go silent': Springfield police cut radio access as Springfield descends into 'absolute turmoil,' says Ohio police chief

Candace Hathaway
September 25, 2024
https://www.theblaze.com/news/springfiel...ail-premiumtest


The city appears to choose to protect Haitian nationals over local residents.

Tremont City Police Chief Chad Duncan says Springfield, Ohio, has fallen into "absolute turmoil" since the arrival of approximately 20,000 Haitian nationals.

Blaze News' Julio Rosas returned to Tremont City, located approximately eight miles outside Springfield, this week to speak with local officials and residents to learn their perspective on the impact of the new arrivals.

'They're allowing them to drive.'

Duncan told Rosas that Springfield has descended into lawlessness and that he is concerned it is spreading to nearby towns, including Tremont City.
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"You've got a city that's in absolute turmoil," he said, referring to Springfield. "Everybody's against everybody."

One of Duncan's most significant concerns is the increase in traffic accidents caused by Haitian drivers, who often are not licensed to operate vehicles, he said.

He told Blaze News that Tremont City law enforcement is doing everything possible to crack down on the potentially deadly crashes but noted that Springfield appears to be protecting Haitian nationals from facing any real consequences for reckless driving.

"People that shouldn't be driving, they're out there and they're allowing them to drive," Duncan remarked.

Duncan told Rosas about a recent traffic stop he conducted involving a Haitian national.

"He didn't even have a license," he said.

According to Duncan, the driver was speeding through Tremont City, going 44 mph in a 25 mph zone.

He said it was the second time over a two-week period that he pulled the driver over and had the individual's car towed.

Rosas asked Duncan whether Springfield would have towed the vehicle in that instance.

"No," he replied.

Duncan speculated that Springfield may be softening or avoiding reckless driving consequences for Haitian nationals to protect them from deportation.

"If you get two misdemeanors, you are subject to be deported," he told Blaze News.-- excerpt, rest at link above --