By Jim Newell
Managing Editor
OXFORD – Oxford Police Department Reserve Sgt. James Sommers holds that position no longer.
Sommers was promoted to reserve sergeant in charge of a squad of 10 reserve officers who serve with the Oxford Police Department, a position that holds with it a commitment to protecting the public and engaging with members of the community to build bonds of trust.
Oxford Police Chief Mike Solwold has known Sommers since he was a student at Oxford High School and watched him develop from a teen to an integral part of the Oxford Police Department.
“I’ve known James since he was in high school when I was the school resource officer. He started with us as an Explorer until he became a reserve officer. James has great character and can get along with anyone. He is always willing to help when he can. He has volunteered countless hours for this community for over 25 years,” Solwold said. “Not only does he deserve this position, I am extremely proud of what he does and the man he has become.”
Sommers’ responsibilities include working during special events in Oxford, scheduling reserve officers to assist with events and special details in the village, coordinating traffic flow and last-minute callouts in the event of an emergency or situation requiring extra officers. Sommers is also the police department’s information technology officer.
“I live in the community so usually I will grab my stuff and go as I’m coordinating other people,” said Sommers. “To me, it’s about giving back and being able to help other people. Unfortunately, in a time of need, you want people there with empathy and compassion to be there alongside the certified officers.”
Reserve officers work full time jobs outside of the Oxford Police Department, but it is their commitment to serving the community that brings them to reserve positions.
“Originally, as a kid, I wanted to get into law enforcement full time. After I graduated (Oxford) high school in 2000, I was getting into law enforcement, going to school for it and I started picking up skills in IT (Information Technology),” Sommers said, who ended up switching careers and going into IT full time.
“But giving back to the community and volunteering has always been a core part of me, that public service (commitment). A lot of people don’t understand why we do it, especially since we’re out there volunteering our time,” he said.
Sommers’ journey with law enforcement began in 1996, at age 16, when he took a seat with the police department’s community outreach program in the form of a citizens academy. After that class was done, he was approached by Sgt. Gordy Burnham with an idea of starting a youth explorers program for kids 17 and older who have an interest in law enforcement.
“During my time in that program I met some great officers who helped to set a good foundation on what to expect in this career field,” Sommers said.
In 2000 the program was disbanded due to the changes in servicing area for Oxford PD, which no longer provided police services to Oxford Township, but returned to being the village’s police agency.
After graduating high school in June 2000, Sommers started taking classes for criminal justice at OCC while working security at Great Lakes Crossing.
However, he missed the community connection to Oxford and became a 911 dispatcher for the agency in 2001. At the time, all 911 calls for the Oxford area would come into the agency and Sommers would dispatch Oxford police officers and firefighters to their calls.
Sommers started his role as a reserve officer with Oxford PD at age 20. Along with being a 911 dispatcher part-time and a new reserve officer, he was promoted to sergeant with Great Lakes Crossing security. In 2003 he resigned his role at Great Lakes Crossing to become full-time 911 dispatcher at Oxford PD.
When Sommers wasn’t dispatching, he would put in reserve hours with the police department, and took on the role of ordinance officer for the village.
For Sommers and the Oxford police officers, community policing means protecting the public but it also means interacting with people and forming trusting relationships. This is their community, too, after all.
“When we’re at concerts in the park or school activities or trick-or-treating stuff the kids are always excited. I remember as a kid, for a while there it was kind of intimidating to see a police officer,” Sommers said. “But a lot of younger kids, and teenagers, you get out, talk with them. There’s a retired police officer who started a thing called ‘Humanizing the Badge.’ It really just puts the emphasis on ‘we put our pants on one leg at a time like everybody else.’ There’s nothing different about us. It’s not a power trip or ego trip.
“Being able to talk to the kids, show them the car and let them sit there and hit the siren a couple times, kids really get excited about that stuff. And then you see them later on and they remember your name and wave – it’s a positive influence. It really enforces that we’re here to help,” he said.