(GoRealNewsNow.com) – Following the arrival of thousands of Haitian illegals, crime has skyrocketed to unprecedented levels as reports of shoplifting and vehicle theft surged in Springfield, Ohio.
According to data obtained, the town, which had a population of 58,622 in 2020, has seen between 12,000 and 20,000 illegal Haitians move in over the past three years. This has led to a population increase of around 20.4% to 34.1%.
The Springfield Police Division reported that from 2021 to 2023, the town experienced a 51.5% rise in motor vehicle thefts and a 112.8% increase in shoplifting reports.
Moreover, residents previously said that the influx of Haitians has led to more car accidents, higher housing costs, and strained public services.
Residents also mentioned seeing Haitians involved in public sex acts and other vices, though some sources could not confirm these claims.
Before the large influx of Haitians, Springfield already had a higher crime rate than the national average. In 2019, the town’s violent crime rate was 493.8 per 100,000 residents, compared to the U.S. rate of 366.7 per 100,000.
Motor vehicle thefts in Springfield increased from 324 in 2021 to 491 in 2023, while shoplifting cases jumped from 295 in 2021 to 628 in 2023.
Many Haitians began arriving in Springfield to fill labor shortages after the city’s chamber of commerce successfully attracted new businesses.
Republican Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has allocated $2.5 million to help Springfield manage the influx and announced that the Ohio State Highway Patrol will assist with traffic enforcement.
The issue of poor driving among refugees gained attention after an illegal Haitian driving a minivan without a license caused a crash in August 2023, killing an 11-year-old boy and injuring about a dozen students.
In turn, reports of animal cruelty were low, with only two cases in 2021 and none in 2022 or 2023. This fails to support rumors of Haitians stealing and eating pets.
Since Joe Biden took office in January 2021, immigration authorities have had over 7 million encounters with migrants at the southern border, according to Customs and Border Protection data.
The Biden-Harris administration granted Haitians Temporary Protected Status for the first time in 2021 and extended it until 2026. This status protects them from deportation and allows them to work legally.
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