Large concrete letters will also be extra layer of protection for building

By Will Westmoreland

When the Oxford Police Department moves to its new location in the former Enterprise Center  the sign will clearly be seen. The City of Oxford Planning Commission approved the  large concrete sign for the future OPD headquarters in the meeting on  Monday.

 The sign, spelling ‘POLICE’ in concrete letters measuring 8’ 6”, would be for identification purposes while also acting as a protective barrier for the building’s front entrance.  

Despite the individual letters exceeding local construction code in height by more than two feet apiece, the motion for the variance was ultimately approved, with officials citing the necessity for both easy identification of Oxford city police building and protective additional security in the event of emergency.

Multiple City of Oxford officials expressed initial concerns over the proposed size of the letters composing the sign, which were quickly addressed by the project’s architects and representatives for the OPD.  

Reasons for the excessive size of the lettering included conspicuous identification of the building from the road, while also serving as its own extra layer of security for the department’s front entrance in the event of an attempted physical attack, such as a vehicle ‘ramming’ incident.  

This was met with approval from the council and plans for construction are slated to continue as requested.  No requests for comment from either the architect or reps for OPD were made, as all questions were answered during the meeting’s proceedings.  Additional information will be provided as the project moves forward.