By former Chief of Police, Richard Biehl (Dayton, OHIO) 

Seventeen years ago, I was appointed police chief of Dayton, Ohio. Not even a month into this role, I received an email that would drastically reshape my career and set me on a path to better serve Dayton’s immigrant communities. 

The email described the deep fear growing within the Latino community in Dayton, where families believed police were targeting them, causing parents to pull their children out of school. That message had a profound impact on me, inspiring me to lead a decade-long effort to reform the Dayton Police Department’s immigration policies.  

I started by investigating the truth behind the concerns. I conducted a months-long review of jail intake records from 2007 and 2008, which revealed that although Hispanic/Latino arrests were relatively low, many led to deportation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), often for minor traffic offenses that were never brought to court. These deportations left families separated and children without support, all without improving public safety. In response, I reformed the department’s approach, striving to maintain public safety while ensuring all individuals, regardless of immigration status, were treated with respect. 

Today, Ohio faces a similar issue, with false and dehumanizing rumors targeting Haitian immigrants—particularly the baseless claim that they are eating pets. Not only is this claim entirely untrue, but it also shows how easily fear and prejudice can distort public discourse. This pattern of vilifying immigrants reflects what I warned about during my tenure as chief: how immigrants are often unfairly cast as “the other.” These false narratives, such as those directed at Haitian immigrants today, are nothing new as they serve to dehumanize, divide, and cast blame where it doesn’t belong. These narratives are a projection of inner fears, not the reality of our immigrant communities. 

My work in Dayton offers a counternarrative. Rather than targeting immigrant communities needlessly, the Dayton Police Department chose to revise its policies and focus on real public safety concerns. The impact of our department’s reforms was profound: the city saw a dramatic reduction in arrests, a substantial decrease in county costs, and most importantly, a safer Dayton for all residents. By treating immigrants as valued partners in the community, rather than threats, Dayton experienced a sharp decline in crime. The findings are clear—trust and cooperation with immigrant communities strengthen public safety for all. 

The dehumanization of Haitian immigrants that we see today is part of the same cycle of fear that has troubled immigrant communities for generations. We need to reflect deeply on our identity as a nation of immigrants and our own inner fears of the ‘other.’ That is more relevant today than ever. The task ahead is not to succumb to these baseless fears but to reject these false narratives, treating everyone, regardless of background or immigration status, as part of our communities. By embracing this approach, we pave the way for a safer and more compassionate nation. It is time to reject fear and falsehoods and choose truth and trust. Only then can we truly say we are protecting and serving all members of our community. 

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The LEITF would like to thank Monica Espinoza, Fall Intern, for her contribution to this blog post.