Springfield Police say they have not received ‘credible’ reports on Haitian crimes

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio ( WDTN ) — The city of Springfield is gaining national and political attention after social media posts accusing Haitian immigrants of crimes went viral, despite Springfield Police confirming they have not received ‘credible’ reports of those claims.

For the past few years, Springfield has seen a massive population influx due to legal immigration. Now, national attention has been brought to the city’s struggle with accommodating the growth .

City leaders requested federal aid in July , but strain continues to cause tension in Springfield. Now politicians are starting to take notice.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost commented on the issue of overworked public services in the city, saying that his team is looking into legal recourse to curb immigrants from coming to Springfield specifically.

“I want to get in front of a federal judge to review this because what’s happening in Springfield shouldn’t happen to any city. It’s simply unsustainable,” said Yost.

Citizens and Springfield officials believe something needs to be done to accommodate the sudden growth. While residents and local leaders continue to have conversations about resources, a social media post is making headlines about some claims, and local police say they have not received reports of the allegations in the post.

Republican vice presidential nominee and Ohio senator JD Vance posted on “X” Monday that he had heard from residents that their pets were being abducted and then eaten. That post was viewed more than 4.7 million times.

Springfield Police said they have not had credible reports of that happening, saying in part:

We wish to clarify that there have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community.

2 NEWS spoke with Viles Dorsainvil, president of the Haitian Help and Community Support Center, who says he’s shocked by the unfounded claims of Haitians killing other residents’ pets.

“You are hurting people by spreading fake news without knowing that it can hurt an individual but an entire community,” said Dorsainvil.

Springfield police have also refuted claims, one that was made at a city council meeting by a life-long resident, that immigrants are squatting and performing illegal activities, saying this information has no verified instances of such activity.

Patty Coller contributed to this report.

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