Governor Mike DeWine and his wife, Fran, visited with Ohio Highway Patrol Officers at Simon Kenton Elementary School in Springfield.
Submitted photo
SPRINGFIELD — On the first day the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Mobile Field Force provided added security to the Springfield City School District’s 18 school buildings, Governor DeWine visited patrol staff, as well as students and teachers at Simon Kenton Elementary School in Springfield.
Hope, the Ohio State Highway Patrol Therapy dog, went with the Governor as he visited kindergarten, first grade, sixth grade, and gym classes. Hope is a female 10-month-old English Yellow Lab who provides affection, comfort, and support and can help lower anxiety. Hope visited Springfield City Hall employees yesterday.
“While none of the threats – including one today – has been legitimate, we want to reassure Springfield students, parents, and staff that we are here to support them and help keep our school communities safe,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. “We are doing the physical security with support from our troopers and Ohio Homeland Security and the emotional security with help from Hope, the therapy dog.”
As Governor DeWine announced on Monday, 36 troopers are stationed throughout the Springfield City School District. Daily, troopers are sweeping each building for threats before students and faculty arrive and stay on-site to provide security throughout the school day and during dismissal.
The decision to send troopers came following a series of unfounded bomb threats made to schools within the Springfield City School District. “Many of these threats are coming in from overseas, made by those who want to fuel the current discord surrounding Springfield. We cannot let the bad guys win,” said Governor DeWine. “We must take every threat seriously, but children deserve to be in school, and parents deserve to know that their kids are safe. The added security will help ease some of the fears caused by these hoaxes.”
“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,” said Governor DeWine.
Governor DeWine also directed Ohio Homeland Security to begin conducting vulnerability assessments on critical infrastructure in Springfield and to provide various tower cameras for use by the Springfield Police Department to enhance situational awareness. The Ohio Department of Public Safety has also arranged for bomb detection dogs to be stationed in Springfield each day.
Due to the recent influx of Haitian migrants to Springfield, Governor DeWine last week dedicated $2.5 million toward expanding primary healthcare access in Springfield and directed the Ohio State Highway Patrol to support the local police with traffic enforcement.
