Nationwide staffing issues affect OPD

In 2015, one police officer retired from the Oxford Police Department (OPD). In 2025, only one officer retired, but three left for other jobs.

Across the nation, police departments, including OPD, are experiencing staffing shortages. In 2024, United States police agencies operated at 91% of their authorized staffing levels on average, according to a report by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. 

OPD Chief John Jones said higher turnover rates and fewer people interested in becoming officers have changed the hiring process significantly over the past decade. 

Additionally, chiefs across the nation reported increased difficulty recruiting candidates in the wake of George Floyd’s murder by a Minneapolis police officer, according to research from the National Institutes of Health.

“I think policing is a calling, and you (have) to be called to serve,” Jones said.  “Maybe just less people are finding that calling.”

OPD Lieutenant Adam Price said when he first joined the department in 2006, it was common for between 150-200 people  to test and apply for just two job openings. Price also said it was more common for officers to stay at the department that hired them for the entirety of their career.

“There wasn't a whole lot of job jumping,” Price said. “Now there's a lot more of that, so you’re not getting the pool of candidates that you once got … It's a different type of candidate.”

Additionally, it’s becoming increasingly frequent for candidates to apply for a position without first attending a police academy, which takes four months, Jones said. OPD is currently paying for two people to attend the Butler Tech Police Academy.

The total cost of attending the Butler Tech Police Academy is $9,600, according to its website. While OPD will often pay to send recruits, it can strain department finances, especially since those recruits won’t be able to assist the department for several months.

After completing academy training, recruits must then pass a 14-week field training officer program, partnering with more experienced officers to complete patrols together. Although the OPD has 31 officers, only 12 are certified to assist with field training.

After passing the field training program, recruits carry out solo patrols, but have a 12-month probationary period, during which they are evaluated to see if they work well in the community.

The number of officers who have left the department in recent years has created a gap in experience, which can factor into new recruits’ training. 

“I feel like we're missing that kind of institutional knowledge that gets passed down from generation to generation within a department, so that's kind of another challenge when it comes to leadership development,” Jones said.

Currently, the OPD has several younger officers who have been at the department for less than five years, and several who have been there for around two decades. Jones said there’s a missing demographic of officers who have been with OPD for 10-15 years and may be more active with patrols or arrests.

Due to such gaps, as well as officer transfers to other departments or the private sector, OPD has had to spend more time hiring new recruits. From 2023 to 2025, OPD hired nine new officers. This year alone, there have been four new hires.

Assistant City Manager Jessica Greene, who helps with the hiring process, said the department looks for applicants who can handle a wide range of people like elderly residents and unhoused people as well as students from Miami University.

“A police officer has to deal with this broad segment of humanity, and so I’m looking for people who can do that,” Greene said.

The OPD is now hiring on a rolling basis; anyone may apply at any time.