A Word with Ohio Director of the Department of Public Safety Andy Wilson

To be sure, the influx of Haitian immigrants over the past five years has put strains on healthcare, education, and other needful public services in Springfield. But missing pet dogs and cats due to their consumption by legal Haitian immigrants was never a reality. 

It just so happens the top Ohio government official in charge of the Department of Public Safety is a Springfielder with deep roots in the area. His name is Andy Wilson. He graduated from Wright State University and resides in Springfield with his wife and two daughters.

Before he was tapped to lead the Department of Public Safety in 2022, he was a Clark County prosecuting attorney and specialized in crimes of sexual and physical violence against children. He also played a key role in the launch of the Ohio School Safety Center.

In the days after the Sept.10 Harris vs Trump presidential debate in which the former president made false statements about threats to public and pet safety in Springfield, actual harms and chaos were unleashed on the community. Numerous bomb threats spread fear and panic at schools, universities, and government institutions.

HubSpringfield.com Assistant Editor Wil Hoffman conducted a one-on-one interview with Mr. Wilson about the post presidential debate fallout. It is presented here below as recorded late last week. 

According to Wilson the bomb threats dissipated within a week of the debate. Presently, there are many ongoing efforts to address the increased demands presented by Haitian immigrants on essential public services.

Last week Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced the state would provide approximately $1.4 million in funding for Springfield schools to spend on translation devices and language education related services, mental health support, and educator training. A mobile health clinic has been set up by Clark County Combined Health District. Area nonprofits and church leaders have also stepped up to assist Springfield's Haitian immigrants in various ways.

Interview with Andy Wilson, Director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety

HubSpringfield: How did you come to be the public face of the Ohio Department of Public Safety at the press conference many of us watched?

Andy Wilson: The governor prefers having a familiar face with boots on the ground, representing the community’s public safety precautions, reassuring people that it is being taken seriously and handled carefully.

HubSpringfield: What was the Department of Public Safety's immediate response to the fallout following the debate?

Andy Wilson: Firstly, as the bomb threats and the rhetoric escalated, we needed to make sure everybody was physically safe and secure, that our schools and businesses are safe from bombs, attacks, or anything else that might happen. And secondly, we needed to make sure that people felt psychologically safe. It doesn't matter if the school is physically safe when the staff, the students, and their parents don't feel safe. If they don't feel their family members are safe there, then it's not an environment conducive to learning. 

HubSpringfield: How did you go about achieving those goals?

Andy Wilson: We sent the Highway Patrol to the schools. We have a unit called the Mobile Field Force. We sent two troopers to every school. Those troopers have specialized training in how to recognize bombs and other explosive devices. They would sweep the schools each morning for bombs. And they would also be present in front of the schools when parents and busses arrived. During the day they would provide a physical security presence outside the buildings, making sure that nobody came into the buildings to do something they were supposed to do. At the end of the day, they would sweep the building again.

HubSpringfield: Was there increased security for special events, social service agencies, nonprofits, and other government buildings in general?

Andy Wilson: We brought in the mobile towers we have at our offices of Homeland Security, and Ohio School Safety Center. They're called Sky-Towers, from which we can monitor what's going on. They're mobile so when Vivek [Ramaswamy] came to town we moved them there. We moved them into position for MustardFest too. We put some at Clark State, some at Wittenberg, and other places around the city. These allowed the police department to monitor what was going on in real-time in those areas. We also brought in experts from our Office of Homeland Security to do something called vulnerability assessments. They would go to different buildings like schools, government buildings, and nonprofits to assess their physical vulnerability to various kinds of attacks."

HubSpringfield: What was thinking behind the addition of mobile healthcare clinics?

Andy Wilson: We're hoping to assist the area's healthcare workers and that will lead to a [positive] domino effect.