Question for the Police officers here ...
- Thread starter Petre
- Start date
Rich Lucibella
Staff
What Bud said.
Few line officers could afford to live in Beverly Hills or Palm Beach, for instance.
Rich
Few line officers could afford to live in Beverly Hills or Palm Beach, for instance.
Rich
As previously mentioned, it depends upon the jurisdiction. Some apartment complexes will offer a discount to uniformed officers, especially if it's in a questionable area. They get the inherent 'security eyes' with the LEO as a resident and the visual deterrent of a marked vehicle in the parking lot.
I had heard years ago that NYPD required their officers to maintain a residence within the city but that was circumvented by the officers having P.O. boxes or generic mail drops listed as their home residence. (this is not guaranteed data...just something I heard years ago)
I had heard years ago that NYPD required their officers to maintain a residence within the city but that was circumvented by the officers having P.O. boxes or generic mail drops listed as their home residence. (this is not guaranteed data...just something I heard years ago)
old 12 gauge
Moderator
Back in the 70s communities hired local officers, untrained and untested, usually the mayors brother-in law or cousin, then the laws changed, people started sueing towns for mistakes the untrained cops made.
The states wanted trained officers on the job and some towns had no people that wanted to be cops or couldn't pass the Civil Service Test. The town that i live in can hire part time cops so long as they passed the CST, but the law states that if we want a full time cop, we have to take who ever the county sends to us., so we have what we call rent-a-cops, part timers from all over. some are retired cops from full time city depts.
The states wanted trained officers on the job and some towns had no people that wanted to be cops or couldn't pass the Civil Service Test. The town that i live in can hire part time cops so long as they passed the CST, but the law states that if we want a full time cop, we have to take who ever the county sends to us., so we have what we call rent-a-cops, part timers from all over. some are retired cops from full time city depts.
We have to live within 21 miles of our public safety building. A lot of the police unions have taken residency restrictions to arbitration and won either looser limits or none at all. Lake county Illinois is a good example. Most officers in the cities cannot afford to live in the towns they serve.
chuck
chuck
Residency requirements are usually for larger cities.
Right now, the biggest agency that I know of that has a residency requirement is Chicago P.D.
It's a good idea, for the most part. You're a part of the community, and you consider your actions on the job as a pivotal contribution to the community.
My agency has no such requirement. It DOES have a distance requirement for take-home cars, though. As I live outside of that radius, I park my patrol car at the LT's house at shift's end.
Frankly, we're moving closer to my job, and soon. I don't plan on moving quite into the city limits, but I plan on being a member of the community.
Right now, the biggest agency that I know of that has a residency requirement is Chicago P.D.
It's a good idea, for the most part. You're a part of the community, and you consider your actions on the job as a pivotal contribution to the community.
My agency has no such requirement. It DOES have a distance requirement for take-home cars, though. As I live outside of that radius, I park my patrol car at the LT's house at shift's end.
Frankly, we're moving closer to my job, and soon. I don't plan on moving quite into the city limits, but I plan on being a member of the community.
A good many New York City LEO's live on Long Island...
Oakland LEO's are not required to live in Oakland...
Los Angeles LEO's don't have to live in that city either...
I think there might even be grounds for a lawsuit for any employer to require an employee to live in a specific city or neighborhood thereof...
Oakland LEO's are not required to live in Oakland...
Los Angeles LEO's don't have to live in that city either...
I think there might even be grounds for a lawsuit for any employer to require an employee to live in a specific city or neighborhood thereof...
Capt. Charlie
Moderator Emeritus
Matt's given some good reasons for residency, but there's a down side as well. In this business, you do make enemies. People don't like being arrested, even when it was well justified, and some of those will resort to a coward's way of retaliating. I have a bullet hole through my kitchen window to prove it. (I wasn't home at the time, or someone would've paid dearly 
) Other officers here have had their families threatened, and there was one failed attempt to put a Molotov cocktail through the window of another officer's home around 0300.
In bigger cities like Chicago, a cop has no problem living in town and remaining somewhat anonymous. In smaller cities like mine though, it's no problem to find out where an officer lives.
The other down side to residency is burnout. If you live in the same neighborhood you patrol, your mind (and sometimes body) is on duty 24/7. You'll find yourself coming home from the movies, driving and looking between buildings as if you were on patrol. When you pull up to a stop 'n' rob, you'll find yourself eyeballing the interior before you enter, just in case. If you're in a grocery store and a clerk spots some idiot shoplifting, everyone knows you, and the clerk gives you that "Well? Aren't you going to arrest this guy?" look. That's the case even when your wife & kids are with you.
When I go home at the end of watch, I don't want to listen to my neighbor whine about a ticket he got; I don't want to look at a guy walking down my street knowing there's a bench warrant for his arrest, and most of all, I'm sick to death of listening to sirens, because I know that wail is proclaiming someone's fear, pain or sorrow.
After 25 years on this dept., I need time to myself. I want to sit down in surroundings that don't remind me of Duty, or feel pressure to act. I certainly don't want to live in Condition Orange 24/7. And I also realize that I'm burnt out, but that's what comes of living in the same area you work, day after day, year after year.
Those are some of the reasons why Ohio is one of many states (albeit a late comer) that has outlawed residency requirements for law enforcement officers. Community policing, including residency, is a great thing, and it definitely does help narrow the Gap, but for some of us in this business, it also comes with a high price.
Sorry if all this comes off as somewhat emotional, but I've been actively involved in the fight to overturn residency requirements for two decades, and being forced to live where I do has cost me dearly in several personal ways.
) Other officers here have had their families threatened, and there was one failed attempt to put a Molotov cocktail through the window of another officer's home around 0300.In bigger cities like Chicago, a cop has no problem living in town and remaining somewhat anonymous. In smaller cities like mine though, it's no problem to find out where an officer lives.
The other down side to residency is burnout. If you live in the same neighborhood you patrol, your mind (and sometimes body) is on duty 24/7. You'll find yourself coming home from the movies, driving and looking between buildings as if you were on patrol. When you pull up to a stop 'n' rob, you'll find yourself eyeballing the interior before you enter, just in case. If you're in a grocery store and a clerk spots some idiot shoplifting, everyone knows you, and the clerk gives you that "Well? Aren't you going to arrest this guy?" look. That's the case even when your wife & kids are with you.
When I go home at the end of watch, I don't want to listen to my neighbor whine about a ticket he got; I don't want to look at a guy walking down my street knowing there's a bench warrant for his arrest, and most of all, I'm sick to death of listening to sirens, because I know that wail is proclaiming someone's fear, pain or sorrow.
After 25 years on this dept., I need time to myself. I want to sit down in surroundings that don't remind me of Duty, or feel pressure to act. I certainly don't want to live in Condition Orange 24/7. And I also realize that I'm burnt out, but that's what comes of living in the same area you work, day after day, year after year.
Those are some of the reasons why Ohio is one of many states (albeit a late comer) that has outlawed residency requirements for law enforcement officers. Community policing, including residency, is a great thing, and it definitely does help narrow the Gap, but for some of us in this business, it also comes with a high price.
Sorry if all this comes off as somewhat emotional, but I've been actively involved in the fight to overturn residency requirements for two decades, and being forced to live where I do has cost me dearly in several personal ways.
Johnny Guest
Moderator in Memoriam
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Johnny Guest
Staff
All hands are reminded to stick to the topic opened by the thread originator. If you have a totally different question that is of interest to the membership, please, start your own thread.
Johnny Guest
Staff
Police officers are not always obligated to live in the community in which they serve. It can vary depending on the department.
Case in point. If you are a police officer for a town of 1,000 people, must you live in that town to be a peace officer? No. Must you meet the departmental standards and guildelines? Yes. You have to be post certified I'm sure.
I'm not sure that many departments require you to live in the same county or jurisdiction you serve. This is the 21st century... we have cars and we can move between counties in minutes.
Many departments have their own rules as well... you 'must' carry a badge and firearm off duty, or you 'should' carry one, or you're just not required at all.
The answer to your question depends on where you live and what the regulations involving PD are.
Case in point. If you are a police officer for a town of 1,000 people, must you live in that town to be a peace officer? No. Must you meet the departmental standards and guildelines? Yes. You have to be post certified I'm sure.
I'm not sure that many departments require you to live in the same county or jurisdiction you serve. This is the 21st century... we have cars and we can move between counties in minutes.
Many departments have their own rules as well... you 'must' carry a badge and firearm off duty, or you 'should' carry one, or you're just not required at all.
The answer to your question depends on where you live and what the regulations involving PD are.
FAL-schutter
New member
A friend of mine is a public school teacher in Silicon Valley, and there's no way he can afford to live in the city where he works. The same goes for other public servants in many cities in the Valley, including LEOs. I've always thought that if a police department is going institute a residency requirement, they should be obliged to provide a housing allowance sufficient to allow the officers in question to do so. Of course, that would mean higher property taxes, and we know how the voters feel about those. 
I admit that, as a civilian, I like the idea of local law enforcement living locally and feeling part of the community, but Capt. Charlie makes a point that I hadn't thought of, and really can't argue with.
I admit that, as a civilian, I like the idea of local law enforcement living locally and feeling part of the community, but Capt. Charlie makes a point that I hadn't thought of, and really can't argue with.