OXFORD, Ohio- Wanted: A job where you can be outside a good portion of the time. Check.
Something that let’s you be pretty much your own boss. Check.
A position that is going to have a certain amount of job security. Check.
Close to 37 years later, Oxford Township Police Chief Wayne Hall knows that going into law enforcement was the right decision.
“In police work everything is not necessarily relative because you get to deal with different people, different ways of life and different situations,” explains Hall. “Every day is a new day. Even after 37 years.”
Wayne Hall was born on November 19, 1943, in Trenton, Ohio.
Hall attended the old Trenton High School. Once out of school, Hall began work as a die-setter in a Chrysler factory and quickly realized that this was not the life for him. Soon after he joined the Middletown police force.
“I retired from Middletown in 1992, after which I went into the private sector for about a year and a half and did not really care for it too well,” recalls Hall.
Hall then became aware of an opening for police chief at the Oxford Township department.
“It was a position I was half-recruited for and half-volunteered for,” says Chief Hall. “And 10 years later here I am.”
Oxford Township Police Department has a jurisdiction that covers roughly 30 square-miles around the city of Oxford. The majority of the Oxford population is protected by the Oxford Police Department.
“Besides myself, I have two full-time officers here and four part-time. I’m hoping to hire another part-time officer today as a matter of fact,” says Chief Hall.
Crime isn’t something that makes headlines around this area.
“Who doesn’t want a job driving around looking at cows, pigs, and chickens?” chuckles Chief Hall.
“We don’t have the crime associated with a larger area like Hamilton or Middletown here. What we do have is the occasional burglary, domestic violence, and agricultural crimes,” says Hall.
Hall explains that recently there has been some theft of anhydrous ammonia, a farming product used in the methamphetamine drug making process.
But now for the burning question, certainly this can’t be all of the crime. What about the headless motorcycle ghost that permeates Miami lore? What about the ghost?
More information on the ghost can be found at, http://www.lib.muohio.edu/mysteries/files/ghost.html
Hall says that he doesn’t know where the legend originated, but each year the college kids all seem to hear about it.
“The problem that we have, and it’s not that we’re against kids having fun at all, it’s just that the kids park with their lights off on a desolate portion of the road and wind up disturbing the surrounding residents. And then of course we have to take action.”
“And every year, especially around Halloween time it’s the same thing,” smiles Hall.
So what’s the weirdest thing that has ever happened, if the ghost is routine business?
It involves a very cold dog.
“About two years ago a guy driving home sees a German shepherd by the road,” says Hall. “Let me tell you. It was cold. Cold to the point the guy felt bad for the dog.”
“So the guy stops and lets the dog into his truck. Once the dog is in the truck, he will not let the guy back in to his truck,” explains Hall.
“The guy is getting cold fast and can’t get back into his truck, so he calls one of my officers.”
“The officer goes out and lets the guy sit in his car. The officer then tries to coax the dog out. The dog is not coming out for him either, lots of snarling.”
“So the officer calls the animal warden and he has to come out. To make a long story short the warden “arrested” the dog. But the whole thing was a three-hour affair. Very strange,” chuckles Chief Hall.
But it is not all about ghosts and strange incidents at Oxford Township. There is always the interaction with the students. Not on the level of the Oxford Police Department, but perhaps even better.
“Since I’ve been here I’ve probably done this a hundred time,” says Chief Hall about our interview.
“We used to use community service kids, who may have had a little problem with the uptown law enforcement. Though we do not do that anymore.”
“But in the first four years that I was here I got the chance to talk with a lot of kids. Some were pretty neat and some were not so neat,” chuckles Chief Hall.
Barry Landrum, a machinist at Miami University’s Instrumentation Laboratory, bowls frequently with Chief Hall.
“Old Wayne. He’s a bull-shitter,” laughs Landrum, “He’s one of those guys that has been there and done that, an all around good guy.” “One who is getting close to retirement too.”
Well Hall knew what he wanted in his career. What would he want for his retirement?
Nice lake with a few fish in it. Check
Boat to relax on. Check.
Final Retirement. Check.
Effective at the end of this April Hall will retire from Oxford Township. This time it’s for good he says. A retirement that Hall assures me he’ll have no problem enjoying.