Oxford officers sharpen skills at Mississippi summer police conference

Oxford police officers and dispatchers spent several days in Bay St. Louis training in close-quarters battle, firearms, K-9 work and dispatch communications.

The department has 91 sworn officers and more than 114 total staff operating out of headquarters at 9 Industrial Park Drive in Oxford. Oxford Police has also kept Mississippi State Accreditation through the Mississippi Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission, a standard that puts pressure on the agency to keep skills current across patrol, investigations, special units and communications. Recent Police Week promotions from the department highlighted the Patrol Division, Downtown Unit, Mounted Patrol, Criminal Investigations Division and K-9 Unit.

The Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers Association held its 2026 Summer Conference in Bay St. Louis from May 31 to June 5. Training options included K-9 Operations, Dispatch/Communications, Firearms and Combat Shooting, Patrol-Level CQB and Mounted Patrol. The association has almost 1,500 members from federal, state and local agencies, and it was instrumental in creating the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers’ Training Academy in Pearl, which still operates under the Department of Public Safety. The association also posted a thank-you note on June 10 for participants in the summer conference.

Firearms and CQB instruction translate to response in active threats and other high-risk confrontations. Dispatch training affects how quickly 911 calls are triaged, how officers are directed and how units are coordinated during a fast-moving scene. K-9 and mounted patrol work support searches, crowd management and visible policing around busy areas and events.

Oxford Police has also used its public hiring channels to recruit people interested in joining the department, while Lafayette County Government directs 911 dispatch applicants to a dedicated application form.