OXFORD — Public safety calls in Oxford last year were flat and in some cases down compared to 2023. This is according to data reports for its police and fire/rescue departments.
Overall, OPD logged 4,318 calls in 2024 versus 5,101 during the previous year.
Possession of controlled substances, including with intent to sell, last year was 46, down by 48. Driving under the influence increased by 23% but operating after suspension dropped from 34 down to eight last year.
A couple of areas seeing increases were traffic accidents – up 24% for a total of 289 calls, and shoplifting, which saw a 34% increase to 121.
Oxford Police Chief Rickie Jack reported to the Select Board earlier this year that multiple calls to Walmart occur daily.
Oxford Fire Rescue incident reports for 2023 and 2024
Issues surrounding child abuse, endangerment and custody disputes were flat from one year to the next. However, calls involving student truancy were in half – from 32 in 2023 to 16.
Other non-response issues account for much of the call decline. In 2024 the department received 253 misdialed or dropped 911 calls, while in 2023 there were 466.
Incidents for fire or rescue were flat, totaling 1,162 for both years with reports showing little fluctuation for the number and types of calls.
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