Fewer arrests and citations issued in Oxford than past years, 2025 data shows
Despite the decline in arrests and citations, Jones said the year has been busy, particularly with two drug raids that occurred in May, both of which resulted in arrests.
Oxford saw both fewer arrests and fewer citations in 2025 than previous years, according to the annual police report provided at the Police Community Relations and Review Commission meeting on May 21.
The Oxford Police Department (OPD) made 300 arrests in 2025, compared to 339 arrests in 2024 and 485 arrests in 2023.
Oxford Police Chief John Jones said there were multiple factors behind the decrease, including preventative measures taken by the department and staffing issues. OPD currently employs 30 full-time police officers and one part-time officer. Jones said the department is short staffed, with many officers still in training.
White individuals made up around 84.7% of total arrests by the OPD. According to the 2025 U.S. census data, white people make up 78.6% of the Oxford population. The racial data recorded by the OPD may not always be accurate because officers use their judgment to record the data, Jones said.
Additionally 62% of arrests made in 2025 were for people between the ages of 16-25.
Despite the decline in arrests and citations, Jones said the year has been busy, particularly with two drug raids that occurred in May, both of which resulted in arrests.
“We took a very big dip during (COVID-19) years with the drinking culture, and the arrests went way down, and I feel like we're starting to climb back up to pre-covid numbers,” Jones said. “(We’re) not there yet, but certainly, certainly, this past year felt busier than what's reflected here in the numbers.”
Jones also presented data regarding use of force. Officers used various methods 21 times in 2025. The most common incident that resulted in police use of force was for intoxication. This made up 19% of responses with use of force. Additionally, 53% of officers cited making an arrest as their reason for using force.
The parameters for what qualifies as a use of force don’t only include physical measures. Verbal commands and the display of a lethal weapon are both considered uses of force, which marks a shift from how this data has been collected and interpreted in previous years. The most common use of force by officers in 2025 was the use of fists and hands. The display of a lethal weapon by officers was the second most common.
Data from OPD’s social services liaison shows a decrease in the total number of contacts in 2025. Although the liaison did not need to assist as many individuals, there was an increase in the number of referrals made, meaning people were given more points of contact to help them.
