Our LOU community is hurting, and we hurt alongside you. The tragic loss of two students this week has deeply impacted our community, and our thoughts are with their families, friends, classmates, and everyone grieving this loss. In an effort to meet our community where they need us, the Oxford Police Department, Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department, and University Police Department are partnering with Communicare to host a free community Narcan training on October 1 from 6–7 p.m. at the OPD Training Room, 9 Industrial Park Drive. Narcan will be provided to all attendees. This is an opportunity to come together, support one another, and learn a potentially lifesaving skill. No registration required. Everyone is welcome. As law enforcement officials, we want to be good partners to our community by providing life-saving training and tools. That does not change our commitment to holding people accountable for the possession or distribution of illegal narcotics. Our message remains consistent: Do not use drugs. The data is clear: illicit narcotics can be deadly. We should not have to experience another tragic loss of life to bring attention to this issue. Accountability and enforcement will continue to be at the forefront of our efforts to fight this epidemic.

A quote from Chief Jeff McCutchen on the weekend: "This weekend was an incredible success for our entire community, and from a public safety standpoint, we could not be more proud of the way Oxford was represented. We saw tremendous crowds and an incredible amount of energy throughout the weekend. Despite the number of people who came into our community, the crowds within the city were well behaved, and we are extremely thankful for that. A weekend of this magnitude is never the work of one department or one organization. It takes an entire team. We are grateful for the men and women of the Oxford Police Department, Oxford Fire Department, Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office, our paramedics, dispatchers, medical personnel, and all of the other first responders who worked long hours throughout the weekend to keep people safe and provide assistance whenever it was needed. I also want to specifically recognize our City of Oxford Environmental Services team. Their work can sometimes happen behind the scenes, but it was impossible not to notice their effort this weekend. I saw those men and women working around the clock to keep our streets, downtown area, and community clean and beautiful. Their commitment and hard work played a major role in the success of the weekend. This was not simply a police operation or a public safety operation, it was a community effort. From our first responders and city employees to our businesses, residents, visitors, and everyone who helped welcome people to Oxford, this weekend showed what can happen when an entire community works together. We are thankful for a safe and successful weekend, proud of the way our community was represented, and especially proud of all the men and women who worked behind the scenes to make it happen."