President of the Town Commissioners Tom Costigan administers oath to New Oxford Chief of Police Chris Phillips
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On Tuesday, May 28th, 2024, the Town of Oxford announced that Lieutenant Chris Phillips, who had been acting Chief in the town since Chief Eric Kellner stepped down earlier in the year, was appointed to Chief of Police of Oxford. The appointment was by a unanimous vote of the Town Commissioners. The swearing in was conducted at the regular meeting of the Commissioners. Phillips' family was in attendance and wife Britney pinned the Chief's badge on his shirt.
Phillips had previously been a police officer in Cambridge starting out on bike patrol and eventually becoming a detective with the department. He came to Oxford in 2019 and has served as a patrolman and was promoted to 1st Seargent and Assistant Chief by Chief Patrick Maxwell. He later was promoted to Lieutenant under Kellner and then assumed the position as interim chief in January 2024. He currently lives with his wife and two children in Woolford, Maryland.
As President of the Commissioners Tom Costigan announced the appointment and swore Phillips in, he recounted that during Phillips five years in Oxford, he had saved a life, pulled people out of flood waters, and started the citizens' police academy. Costigan also mentioned that Phillips was often seen walking the streets of the town, giving the real meaning to "community policing." The crowd in the meeting room erupted with applause as Phillips finished his oath. Costigan also announced that Phillips would be moving to Oxford soon to live in the townhouse the town provides for the Chief of Police.
"Oxford will once again have a Police Chief living in our town," Costigan said with a smile. More applause. Since Maxwell's sudden retirement in February of 2023, the Police Chief's townhouse had been used as sort of "bed and breakfast" for law enforcement staff.
Phillips' appointment will help ease some tensions in the town that have festered over the past year and a half. After the sudden "retirement" of long time Chief Pat Maxwell and the appointment of a new Chief a few days later, there were suspicions that the town had planned Maxwell's retirement possibly for months without him, or the citizens, knowing it was happening or why.
That situation has led to a year of questions and demands for transparency from the citizens about many other issues in the town. For example, many wondered why, if a new chief was to be appointed, Chris Phillips wasn't the choice.
But, over a year later, Phillips is the choice to be new Chief of Police of Oxford and its clear the people of the town are happy with his selection. Kellner will stay on in the department as will Patrolman First Class Brandon Bobbick.
With a commissioner's election in less than a month, Phillips' appointment is just one of many important changes that will occur in 2024.
