Oxford Borough in Chester County is considering changes to its police department as officials grapple with rising costs as well as ongoing recruitment and retention challenges. Mayor Philip Harris said the borough has faced financial and operational issues that are forcing leaders to consider how police services are provided in the future. “The challenge is not unique to the Borough of Oxford,” Harris said. “We have financial issues and financial constraints but there’s also operational issues when it comes to recruitment and retention.” Oxford has maintained its own police department for about 100 years and Harris said borough leaders remain committed to providing police services. To address the challenges, the borough hired consultants to evaluate possible options. Those recommendations include regionalizing with a nearby police department or using Pennsylvania State Police on a full-time or part-time basis. Those possibilities have drawn criticism from the Chester County Fraternal Order of Police. “It’s a disservice to the residents of the borough who is used to having two patrol officers on duty at all times in the borough to turn it over to Pennsylvania State Police,” Chester County FOP President Robert McCarron said. McCarron said the union wants additional alternatives explored, including seeking grant funding that could help pay officers’ salaries. “There are ways to do this, to plan for it, to seek out grant money for hiring that pays for three years of an officer’s salary,” McCarron said. The FOP said it is open to discussions about a regional police force but noted the nearest neighboring department is more than 12 miles away, raising questions about how that model would work. McCarron also said consultants suggested that reducing services through attrition could affect investigations. Harris said community input will play a key role in whatever decision is ultimately made. Harris said his priority is maintaining public and officer safety and wants residents to hear all of the options before any decisions are made. A public meeting is scheduled for Monday night at Penn’s Grove Middle School. “I’ve seen this community come together like none other. We’re committed to listening to those folks on a high level and we’re going to try to find a path forward that works for all of us,” Harris said. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication. ...read more read less