‘This is costing our city’: Bomb threats and evacuations take financial toll on Springfield following Trump’s false claims

Springfield Mayor Ron Rue has spent more than a week scrambling to respond to a wave of bomb threats while subtly touting how the bill to keep people safe is growing daily.

Springfield Mayor Ron Rue has spent over a week scrambling to respond to a wave of bomb threats while subtly noting how the tab to keep people safe is growing daily. “This is costing the city. We’re definitely in the hundreds of thousands of dollars in expense. We haven’t calculated the overtime, the contracts that need to be secured to be able to secure and communicate… take care of our city,” Rue told CNN’s Boris Sanchez earlier this week. City officials had already asked for state and federal funding to address the challenges of a growing population – largely driven by the arrival of Haitian immigrants. Then, the small Midwestern city was thrust into the national spotlight, as Donald Trump and running mate JD Vance amplified debunked conspiracy theories claiming Haitian immigrants in Springfield are eating pet cats and dogs. The false claims triggered a weeklong string of bomb threats. They have shut down schools, government offices and grocery stores. The chaos has put more law enforcement on the streets, including tower cameras and state troopers stationed at public schools — all, at a cost to the city that has faced budget shortfalls. In the past decade, the city made significant cuts to its police and fire departments. Dan Tierney, press secretary for Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, told CNN the additional patrol personnel would not likely represent an extra cost, as “those workers would be working and paid even if they were not assigned to Springfield.” Springfield city officials did not respond to a request for comment about the cost of enhanced security linked to the threats. But Rue issued a proclamation this week granting the city temporary emergency powers “to mitigate public safety concerns.” It includes an expedited process to secure additional security contracts to protect the community, Rue told CNN on Friday.