OAN Staff James Meyers
12:03 PM – Tuesday, September 17, 2024
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced on Monday that he has authorized state troopers to be stationed at each school building in Springfield, Ohio after a series of “unfounded bomb threats” took place.
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DeWine has said all 33 bomb threats received so far have been hoaxes.
Former President Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance have been blamed for the bomb threats recently in the media, claiming they’re the reason these threats are taking place.
“We have people, unfortunately overseas, who are taking these actions. Some of them are coming from one particular country. We think that this is one more opportunity to mess with the United States,” DeWine said during a Monday afternoon news conference. “We cannot let the bad guys win. Our schools must remain open. They’re going to remain open.”
However, DeWine declined to name which country the threats are coming from.
The troopers will deploy explosive sniffing dogs and will work alongside the Springfield Police Department. Three dozen troopers will be assigned to provide security before, during and after school hours at the city’s 18 school buildings for the foreseeable future.
DeWine also stated that the Haitian’s who relocated to the area of Springfield for work are there under legal status.
“There are issues about immigration that anybody has the legitimate right to talk about and to debate. The fact that our southern border is porous and is a total mess is a legitimate issue in a presidential campaign, a Senate campaign or any other campaign,” DeWine said.
Starting on Tuesday, 36 state troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Mobile Field Force will be stationed throughout the school district.
They will start sweeping school buildings for threats each day before students and faculty arrive, remaining on-campus throughout the day “to provide security throughout the school day and during dismissal.”
“None of the threats that have come in to Springfield to date have been legitimate. We’re doing this purely as a precaution to prevent further disruption within the Springfield City School District,” DeWine said.
Additionally, the Ohio Governor said he also directed Ohio Homeland Security to conduct vulnerability assessments on “critical infrastructure” in the city, as well as provide surveillance cameras to the local police department.
DeWine also stated that the problems with illegal immigration are legitimate issues to debate and something to think about when voting.
Meanwhile, an estimated 15,000 Haitians have moved to Springfield over the past few years, which is a dramatic increase for a town that had 59,000 in it as of the 2020 census.
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