Throughout 2010, the rate of violent crime has been increasing within Butler County. However, Oxford has not seen this increase occur.
Sgt. Jim Squance of the Oxford Police Department (OPD) said Oxford has never had a problem with violence.
"I have been (in Oxford) for 32 years and the violent crimes that have occurred are few and far between," Squance said.
There are very few FBI-classified part one crimes in Oxford, Squance said. A part one crime includes issues such as robbery, rape, sexual assault, homicide and any type of felonious assault.
"It is hard to say why Oxford hasn't seen an increase," Squance said. "One reason might be because we're in a rural area and it is hard to get in and out of town quickly due to a lack of nearby interstates."
Miami junior Becky Goldstein agreed that Oxford is much more isolated, which means it doesn't see as much crime as other areas.
"Not only is it a small town, but this town is fueled by the college community," Goldstein said. "I think one of the major reasons we see increased crime is due to a poor economy and Oxford hasn't really seen this downturn because students are feeding the economy here."
The City of Oxford is only six square miles and houses three police departments. According to Squance, OPD, Miami University Police Department and Oxford Township Police Department are housed in the city. The Butler County Sheriff also patrols through town on occasion.
"We have a big law enforcement presence in a small town," Squance said. "I think that really deters people from committing any violent crimes in Oxford."
Crime could be increasing in other towns within Butler County due to the poor economy, Squance said.
"Since departments are hurting financially, less police are able to patrol around," Squance said. "A low number of staff leads to increased crime."
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Miami junior Pete Taliaferro agreed that the economy could be a cause for the increased crime.
"I think that the lack of available jobs is what is fueling the crime," Taliaferro said. "Personally, I think that until the number of jobs in the county increases, we will continue to see this increase in crime. However, I am not worried about the increased crime coming to Oxford. Oxford doesn't seem to be struggling economically as much as other areas."
Goldstein agreed that a lack of jobs and companies closing down leads to people no longer having the income to purchase things. Therefore, they resort to criminal activities.
According to Squance, there are things people can do to prevent becoming a victim. For example, not locking doors creates a target. The same goes for leaving valuables in plain sight in cars. Squance said OPD really tries to advocate practicing good crime prevention habits.
Goldstein fears that as the economy gets worse, college towns will begin to see a negative effect. She thinks if Oxford continues to succeed, then the unemployed will come to town in hopes of breaking into this business world, which will ultimately lead to more crime.
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