# Question about Lateral Transfer within CS



## RTBeast (Aug 26, 2017)

I can't seem to find much info online regarding how a lateral transfer might work within civil service. Say you've been picked up by Town A and have been with them for say 3 years, and now want to work for Town B for whatever reason. 

How would you initiate a lateral transfer within CS? Would you have to be a resident of Town B (even though you're still working for Town A?). Or do some cities/towns simply not even take lateral transfers either way?

Thanks for any input or info on this!


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## felony (Oct 24, 2014)

Have you never had anyone in your department later transfer before? You need consent from both chiefs first, then you have to pass another background and medical. If your chief doesn't want to sign off on you leaving then you can't lateral. Residency is department specific.


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## Bloodhound (May 20, 2010)

felony said:


> If your chief doesn't want to sign off on you leaving then you can't lateral. Residency is department specific.


That was a douchey change to the law several years back. Used to be if your chief wouldn't sign off then you could quit your PD and get hired by the new one on the same day, good to go.


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## Red (Aug 3, 2019)

Branching off that, I got another CS question -

My department's looking at leaving CS. I'm in full-time under CS. Let's say I want to lateral out. I've heard if my department were to leave CS that I would not need my Chief to sign-off on it. Is that correct or is that a rumor?


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## Bananaman (Apr 8, 2019)

Bloodhound said:


> That was a douchey change to the law several years back. Used to be if your chief wouldn't sign off then you could quit your PD and get hired by the new one on the same day, good to go.


Happened a couple years ago in Dracut. About 8 officers, i believe, tried to lateral out. The city manager denied all transfers because they only had about 40 officers total. Most were trying to get to the next city over that paid significantly more.

Sucks for morale but I also understand the move. Dracut would've paid a lot of money to train these guys just so they could work for another town.


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## j809 (Jul 5, 2002)

Red said:


> Branching off that, I got another CS question -
> 
> My department's looking at leaving CS. I'm in full-time under CS. Let's say I want to lateral out. I've heard if my department were to leave CS that I would not need my Chief to sign-off on it. Is that correct or is that a rumor?


Interesting question, I would say call civil service and get it from the horse's mouth

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Red (Aug 3, 2019)

j809 said:


> Interesting question, I would say call civil service and get it from the horse's mouth
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I got the usual cookie-cutter CS 'you need the sign off but there have been cases where you don't need it' reply. MPTC bosses tell me that if we bail, I don't need my chief to sign off.


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