# Residency requirements



## Mortal knight (Jun 17, 2003)

The power to be in Haverhill are al up in arms over the residency requirement. The chiefs of both the PD and FD are saying it should be eliminated. The Mayor is basically dodging the whole subject and passing the buck to "sub-committes". 
I personally like the requirement, since it will benifit ME, when it comes time for them to start hiring. 
I am curious what *most* officers, and potential officers think of the whole requirement deal.

*Mod if I posted this in the wrong thread, can you place it in the appropraite one, thanks.


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## Guest (Oct 22, 2003)

The last I heard, we still lived in the USA. I can see residency being a requirement to initially get the job but there should be a period of time after which you can move or better yet as I put it, gain parole. 

Does it make any difference if the Firefighter or Police Officer lives in the community in which they work? Will they try harder to put out the fire or catch the bad guy if they don't live within that specific jurisdiction? I don't think so.

Boston has a residency requirement strictly enforced by Il Duce Menino and his minions to the point where they have a so called "hearings" to determine if you are truly a resident or not. I know of only 2 employees out of dozens who have been persecuted there who have gotten their jobs back. 

Two employees of note was the part time 911 dispatcher who made $8 / hr. who lived with her dad in Braintree and needed kidney dialysis who has since passed on. She needed to live in Briantree so her father could drive her to get her dialisis. The other was the poor blind guy in a wheelchair who was the greeter at City Hall. He settled ouy of court for over $200,000 with the city. As far as I am concerned, he had the perfect excuse. He could have said, "Hey I am blind, I thought I lived in Brighton but I guess I don't. My wife has been lying to me again."

I guess the kangaroo court that Il Duce Menino runs spent a good chunk of change to purge these 2 "scofflaws of the residency program" from the payroll. These 2 sould hurt no one and did their jobs well. Just another way the city spends the taxpayer money wisely.

Should people be penalized for owning a house in the suburbs or down the Cape and having an apartment in Boston? Not in my book. Should these employees subject their children to violence that occurs every day in certain school districts?

Why should Boston city employees pay $1800 a month on a mortgage in a half decent neighborhood? That's if they can even afford the down payment on an overpriced house to begin with. Meter maids who bring in over $50,000,000 annually to the city coffers start their pay around $525 / week. How the hell can you afford a mortgage or even a one bedroom apartment on that pay scale??????

I am only using the Boston residency requirement as an example. It's the one I am most familiar with but I am sure most of them are all the same state wide. Just my :2c: on the subject. this is what I think of it. :2up: 

sorry for any spelling mistakes :finger2:


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## MVS (Jul 2, 2003)

You're right Housingcop, how can a City or Town make it a requirement to live in town if the costs are so damn high. That would be like Dover or Sherborn telling their PO's or FF's to live in town.... they better be prepared to pay $80,000 - $100,000 a year so they can afford the 2 bedroom $500K house.

And as far as Boston goes $1800 a month ain't bad in Boston (still outrageous) for a 1 BR apt. But another question will be, where do u park? Nothing like paying $1800 for a 700sq ft apartment and parking 5 blocks away... and hoping your car doesn't get ticketed, stolen, vandelized or broken into. 

Not sure how many of you are familiar with Boston, but even most Boston PO's can't get a parking ticket fixed in their city unless it's issued by a PO (which is rare unless your dumbass parks in a handicap spot or something). Meter Maids CANNOT void tickets without a supervisor's permission - and granting permission will rarely happen.

I do agree with a 15 miles to town rule.


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## ELO (May 24, 2002)

I agree with a distance requirement, i.e. 15 or so miles, but residency just doesn’t make sense anymore. While Boston is expensive, the south shore and many of the other suburbs has been pricing people out of the market. How is an entry level PO or FF supposed to afford the $350K “starter” home in a Duxbury or Cohasset?? And, how is a resident who scored lower on the CS exam more qualified than someone from a neighboring community who scored higher?


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## ryan933 (Oct 3, 2003)

ELO said:


> And, how is a resident who scored lower on the CS exam more qualified than someone from a neighboring community who scored higher?


I could not agree with you more ELO. If I had my way, there would be no such thing as residence preference. If the general public understood that their local PD was hiring a guy who scored a 70 because he lives in town, rather than hiring the guy who got a 90, but lives in the next town over...well I expect things would change. However, I do think that a distance requirement is reasonable.

Ryan


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## Southside (Sep 4, 2003)

I agree with you guys......However, If they do ever get rid of residency, they need to wipe out other full preferences (Veterans). I am not saying punish Vets, maybe just go back to the old system of giving them a few extra points. Of course it is just my :2c: .


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## dimen24 (Sep 25, 2003)

OPEN MOUTH AND INSERT :lol: just kidding.... couldn't resist, well there's another reason to revamp CC's prefs system. 

I myself have had to move from my hometown cause I couldn't afford it, now I can't afford where I live now, I'm moving in like 45 days hahah.... you all want the rest of my sob story? See when I was 5 this hairy guy, said his name was Cindy.......


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## sparksbj774 (Aug 7, 2003)

im stuck in the suburbs with rent that is still high


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## PearlOnyx (Jun 28, 2002)

No matter what you do, there's going to be somebody who is unhappy. Personally, with the fifteen mile rule, I am still screwed, as far as housing costs go. My choices, Marblehead, Swampscott, Nahant, Peabody, Danvers etc., all with 2 bedroom houses going around 300 - 350 K, market price. My only affordable option would be Lynn, Lynn, the City of Sin. I am not complaining though. When you make the decision to go out and make the effort to get this job, it's not like they hide this information from you. It's just something you have to consider.


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## Southside (Sep 4, 2003)

P,

Nahant is non-civil circus. You should send their Chief an email........He told me some time back that the department would be hiring in the near future.


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## CampusOfficer (Dec 29, 2002)

I know Nahant just had a test about a year or so ago. I don't know if they hired off it at all though.


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## MVS (Jul 2, 2003)

PearlOnyx,

You're right about how in some areas the 15 miles rule wouldn't help too much. But I'm thinking of areas like Dover or Sherborn with the average house is more than $500K and with the radius rule they could live in Framingham, Millis, Natick, Holliston etc. Although those areas are expensive too - it can still save the PO 200-300 k on a home.

In simple terms, the PO's don't get paid enough and the costs of living in MA is outrageous. I don't understand some towns, they want you to live in town - but they also want to keep your salary "reasonable" (aka cheap), nothing like the town cops living in poverty and having bad debt... Isn't that the usual cause for corruption? - the need of money for certain lifestyles... god forbid if you wanna send your kid to college too.

Then there's always HUD's "Cop next door program" where you can by a house at a low price or low interest rate in a "Rivitalization Neighborhood". Great, now I can live next door to the gang banger I busted and just got out after 5 years in the slammer. :shock:


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## Capt. Kirk (Nov 21, 2002)

I will agree with housing cop on this one.
I am subjected to Boston's stupid residency rule and it sucks. :BM: 
I have been searching for and affordable apt. for so long. (just found one)
But I could'nt afford it on my own, not on my crappy pay. All the unions have been fighting to get rid of it but Menino won't budge. 
I don't have kids yet but they will not attend Boston public schools, [-( I don't care if I have to collect cans in my spare time to send them to private school.
I would have no problem with say a 15 mile rule I think it is fair.
This is just my personal experiance with residency crap. 
If the residency rule must be in place then the employees pay should be enough to live there.
No spell ck. so excuse my errors. thanks


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## Sgt Jack (Aug 17, 2003)

In agreement here too...You should be able to live where you want...besides people that work in the private sector commute to jobs from all over..I'm sure that they are just as dedicated to their work...furthermore the housing and rent costs are outrageous...other parts of the country are looking better and better..


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## BufordTJustice (Dec 13, 2005)

CampusOfficer said:


> I know Nahant just had a test about a year or so ago. I don't know if they hired off it at all though.


Go to Nahantpolice.org. Gives info. on next test date.


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## Se7en (Nov 29, 2004)

If the "Residency Rule" was a good thing, then why don't more cities or towns require it? :roll:


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## s1w (Sep 12, 2005)

Residency issues abound all across the U.S. in cities such as Pittsburgh, Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis, just to name a few. Unfortunately, residency requirements have been upheld in the courts when challenged. Bargaining and promoting bills to state legislatures to remove or rescind laws requiring residency requirements seems the only way to overturn them. I think about 15-20 percent of the 50 biggest U.S. cities have "city" residency requirements. Most big departments have distance restrictions or no residency requirement at all.


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