Number Of Oxford Burglaries Remain Constant

Scott Sutton
Miami Journalism Student

Students who live at 204 N. Bishop St. returned home recently to find their front door forced open, along with an interior bedroom door.

Nothing was reported stolen, but broken beer bottles were found in the living room of the house. The incident occurred on September 11 between midnight and 2 a.m., according to a police report

Brandon Maximovich, who lives in the home, reported the crime after he saw the damage. The fifth-year senior said he was upset with the situation.

“It just sucks man,” said Maximovich. "I really wish students would be more respectful to our homes. We’re all in this together. It’s disrespectful to one another to destroy our property.”

Maximovich said he suspect he knows who broke into his house, he said. He declined to disclose further details.

Four days later, a woman reported someone came into her apartment in the 1400 Ironwood Drive while she was home. Nothing was damaged nor stolen, according to a police report.

Burglaries in Oxford
In 2016 there were 73 reported burglaries in Oxford, according to Oxford police. But officials say as many as 40 percent of burglaries go unreported.

Oxford police Lt. Lara Fening said she believes that these type of break-ins don’t usually happen during the school year. More often, they occur during student breaks.

Fening offered tips to students to reduce the chances of a break-in.

“You can try to persuade the landlord to get more secure doors, maybe metal doors,” said Fening. Students "can put steel plates around the door jam to prevent prying and prevent the windows on the door from being used for early access.”

Photo above: The door of a home in the 200 block of N. Bishop Street was damaged during a recent burglary. Photo by Scott Sutton.