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In every Oxford Police Department patrol car, tucked away out of sight, lies an M-4 assault rifle, and few people in Oxford are aware that every officer is required by the station to carry one.
The M-4 carbine, acquired last summer by the department, is a high-powered, semi-automatic assault rifle able to pierce body armor and hit a target up to 300 yards away. The United States military and more than 90 other countries use the assault rifles, according to Colt Defense Weapon Systems, the company which produces the weapon.
M-4's are not only being used on the battlefield. Many police departments nationwide have added the M-4 rifle to their respective arsenals in an effort to combat the increasingly sophisticated criminal weaponry they encounter, according to Sgt. Jon Varley, M-4 certification and distribution instructor of the Oxford Police Department.
"There are several reasons why we upgraded," Varley said. "Across the country, police officers have been encountering automatic weapons that can pierce body armor and cause serious harm. The standard police sidearm cannot match up against a long gun."
Miami University sophomore Ryan Adams said he did not know the police carry M-4's, but said he thought acquiring them was a wise move.
"We're in a rural area, and outside of the Oxford that college students are familiar with, I'm sure some very dangerous stuff happens with all the drugs and what not," Adams said. "It wouldn't surprise me if they came across weapons stronger than handguns."
Five summers ago, police officers responded to a call where a man was spraying AK-47 rounds at objects and people near his mobile home. When the police arrived, their handguns were no match for the automatic, long-distance shots of the AK-47. Eventually, the man was shot and killed by the Butler County SWAT team, according to an Oct. 19, 2004 Miami Student article written on the altercation.
"It was kind of a wake-up call," Varley said. "Even though this is Oxford, it can happen here, and it did. None of the officers had long guns, and he could have taken out many officers at a great range, and we wouldn't have been able to do anything. That really brought it into light that we could be outgunned."
Oxford resident Katie Wagerts said she is skeptical about the upgrade and finds no reason why police should have such dangerous weapons at their disposal.
"I didn't even know the police had them, but I don't think they need those types of guns," Wagerts said. "It's not necessary, and it seems a little excessive to have them in this town."
Each M-4 unit costs about $800, and the police department has 30 units, according to Varley.
The budget for the rifles and 30 ammunition magazines is $22,300, according to Oxford City Council minutes from Feb. 19, 2008.
All 30 units were paid for by grant money from the state, meaning Oxford citizens did not pay a penny for them, Varley said.
The acquisition of the M-4's signals the end for the 12-gauge shotguns the police used as their back-up weapon. The shotguns, 20 years old, are not nearly as effective or efficient as the new replacement, Varley said.
"If you're dealing with anything at a distance, the M-4 is the way to go," Varley said. "In towns like Oxford, with the congestion we have to be more precise for our citizens."
Sophomore Elliot Zetzer said he doesn't know why police feel the need to carry the M-4's.
"The police have absolutely no reason to go around toting
high-powered rifles," Zetzer said. "There's no crime here. The only crime I've ever seen is somebody getting arrested for having a few beers."
Varley said it doesn't bother him that the presence of M-4's may be a contentious subject among Miami students and Oxford residents.
"Its better to have them and not need them, than to need them and not have them," Varley said.
