Springfield Domestic Violence Coalition Raises Concerns Over Accuracy of City Gun Violence Data
- Beth Donahue
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
SPRINGFIELD, OH – April 3, 2025 – The Springfield Domestic Violence Coalition (SDVC) today released findings from its critical examination of gun-related arrest data in Springfield, Ohio, between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2023. The SDVC white paper highlights significant concerns regarding the data presented by Mr. Caleb Perkins, the Gun Violence Prevention Coordinator for the Office for Individual Change (OIC).
The SDVC’s analysis, which focused on 500 unique individuals arrested for gun-related offenses, revealed inconsistencies and a lack of methodological rigor in Mr. Perkins’ reporting to the Springfield City Commissioners. The coalition found that Mr. Perkins demonstrated a fundamental misunderstanding of basic criminology concepts, including the conflation of “incidents,” “arrests,” and “charges.”
Furthermore, the SDVC’s review of the OIC representative’s grant reports allegedly uncovered numerous errors, including formatting, mathematical, and data inconsistencies. Notably, the SDVC identified discrepancies in arrest/identity counts and a complete absence of crucial demographic data within these reports.
The SDVC’s meticulous analysis of the raw data identified 500 unique individuals arrested for gun-related offenses, with 80 individuals identified as re-offenders. This figure directly contradicts Mr. Perkins’ inflated count of offenders presented to the city.
The SDVC’s examination also revealed that a significant portion of gun violence in Springfield involves individuals in their early twenties, despite the OIC grant’s focus on “youth.” Analysis of the criminal history of arrested individuals aged 18 and over indicated a high number of lifetime criminal cases, suggesting a critical need to address the underlying factors contributing to this behavior. The SDVC contends that Mr. Perkins has not provided sufficient data to substantiate claims that youth gun violence is significantly impacting the community.
The Springfield Domestic Violence Coalition is deeply concerned by the discrepancies and lack of rigor identified in the OIC’s reported gun violence data. Accurate and reliable data is essential for developing effective strategies to address gun violence in our community. The SDVC urges the Springfield City Commissioners to carefully consider these findings and calls for a thorough review of the data collection and reporting methods employed by the Office for Individual Change.
About the Springfield Domestic Violence Coalition (SDVC):
The Springfield Domestic Violence Coalition (SDVC) is a dedicated organization committed to ending domestic violence and promoting safety and justice for victims in the Springfield, Ohio, community.
READ THE REPORT - PDF BELOW
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