Shoplifting And Vehicle Thefts Soared As Haitian Migrants Poured Into Ohio Town, Police Data Shows
The Daily Caller News Foundation obtained data from the state of Ohio that showed a significant increase in reports of vehicle theft and shoplifting following the arrival thousands of Haitian refugee.
In the last three years, the town has seen a population growth of between 20,4% and 34.1%. Springfield saw a 51.5% increase in motor vehicle thefts and a 112,8% rise in shoplifting reports from 2021 to 2023.
Springfield residents told DCNF previously that the influx Haitians had resulted an increase in car accidents, housing prices and strain on public services. Bryan Heck, Springfield’s city manager, wrote a letter to Democratic Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown and Republican Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, a Republican South Carolina Senator Tim Scott and Democrat Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown requested federal assistance in July to address the pressure that migrants placed on housing supplies.
Residents of the town told the DCNF they saw Haitians committing sex crimes and other vices on the streets. The DCNF could not verify the claims of residents in the town that Haitians were engaging in public debauchery.
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Springfield’s Police Department declined to comment on crime statistics, which did not include demographics or information about immigrants.
Springfield’s crime rate was higher than that of the entire nation, even before Haitians moved there in great numbers. According to Federal Bureau of Investigation data, Springfield had a violent crimes rate of 493.8 for every 100,000 residents in 2019. This is higher than the United States rate of 366.7.
According to police statistics, the number of motor vehicle crimes reported in Springfield has increased from 324 cases in 2021 to a total of 491 in 2023. The number of shoplifting cases increased from 295 in 2021, to 628 in the year 2023.
The New York Times reports that a large number of Haitians have begun arriving in Springfield, Missouri to fill the labor shortage after the chamber of commerce attracted many new businesses. The migrants may have angered some locals, but many of them are paying taxes in order to support their community.
Republican Ohio Governor. Mike DeWine set aside $2.5million to help Springfield cope with the migrant rush and announced on Wednesday that he will deploy the Ohio State Highway Patrol in the municipality to assist with traffic enforcement. After a Haitian driver of a minivan driving without a licence swerved into a schoolbus in August 2023 and killed an 11-year old boy, the issue of poor driving by refugees became a hot topic in the community.
A Springfield resident who is a pastor told DCNF that there are accidents in the town every day due to the Haitian influx. One local towing worker confirmed the increase in accidents.
The police recorded only two cases of animal abuse in 2021, and none in either 2022 or 2030. They failed to provide any evidence of the rumors that Haitians were stealing and eating pets of residents. The number of murders and assaults reported in the town remained more or less constant between 2021-2023.
Customs and Border Protection statistics show that since January 2021 when President Joe Biden assumed office, immigration authorities have encountered over 7 million migrants at the southern boundary. Bloomberg reported that the large number migrants who have entered the country, including Springfield, has put a strain on the budgets of major cities such as New York and Chicago, which are trying to accommodate them.
Haitians were granted Temporary Protection Status by the Biden-Harris Administration for the first and only time in 2021. This designation was later extended until 2026. It protects them from deportation, and allows them to legally work. Reuters reported that the number of people receiving government benefits increased as Haitians began to move into Springfield.
In April, the Biden and Harris administration had brought over 400,000 migrants to the United States. 154,000 of them were from Haiti. After an internal investigation revealed widespread fraud, the administration suspended its flight program. However, it has now allowed them to resume.
When asked by the DCNF what message he wished to send the country, a Springfield resident replied: “We are tired. Help us.” “Send help. “Send help.
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