Oxford Police recruit communications officers to improve emergency response

Oxford Police Department has been recruiting communications officers at $25.2399 an hour, filling a job that sits at the center of emergency response in Oxford. The people in that role answer calls, gather critical information and relay help to officers, firefighters and medical responders when seconds matter.

The city’s police department page says Oxford Police works under a mission "To serve with wisdom and compassion and to create a safe and connected community." It also says the department has 91 sworn officers and more than 114 total staff, a size that underscores how heavily the city relies on dispatch and communications work to keep operations moving around the clock.

A city Police Dispatcher bulletin posted through GovernmentJobs described the position as "directly responsible for receiving, recording and relaying any communications necessary for the operation and maintenance of the Police Department." That is the behind-the-scenes work that keeps patrol units informed, routes calls correctly and helps callers stay calm long enough for accurate information to reach the right responders.

Oxford Police also used a later recruiting post to say it was looking for dispatchers, setting an application deadline of May 15, 2026. The department scheduled open application sessions for July 11 and July 18, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Jackson Ave Center, 1111 West Jackson Avenue, giving applicants a direct way to walk into the hiring process.

Another University of Mississippi job posting for a communications officer listed core duties that included answering, directing and making both emergency and non-emergency phone calls. In a college town like Oxford, where the police department serves residents, visitors and the university community, that call-handling work affects how quickly help reaches downtown, neighborhoods across the city and other parts of Lafayette County.