Residency and Collegiate Requirements

Having a police residency requirement for a city can prove beneficial on many fronts.  First they will be adding to the local tax base.  They will be living and shopping in the area which will have financial benefits for the city.  The officers will have a better idea of what the community needs are and be more empathic to those needs.  Having an officer live in a particular area may serve as a deterrent to crime in that location provided through word of mouth that people are aware who their neighbors are. 

Some of the cons of allowing officers to live outside the city are that the city would lose a vital tax base.  The property home values may decrease.  Commuting distances may have a negative impact on police personnel.  Another con would be bypassing a qualified candidate for hire who could potentially be an asset to the city just because they live outside city limits.

Some Police Officers feel that by living within the city they are diminishing their quality of life outside of the job.  They feel that if they are required to live within city limits they may expose their families to harm.   Their children may be forced to attend a school that they feel is not on par with their educational standards.



I feel that officers should be required to live where they work.   They are policing a community and should be familiar with the area, concerns and people of that community.  They should also be spending their money where they make it.  They are public servants so it would make sense that they work and live in the area that they serve.  If for any reason there was a major emergency within the city and they were called in they should be living in an area that would allow for a quick response time.



Officers who have advanced degrees in education according to the website tend to have less disciplinary actions in their career.  This may be because they have a more formal education in the law and know how to deal with various walks of life due to their educational background.  These officers receive more commendations and use less sick time.  

According to the text college officers make more sound decisions.  They act in a more professional manner when dealing with the public.  They become less authoritarian in their demeanor.  They are able to show empathy and have the flexibility to handle difficult situations which may be why they use less sick time.  They are more informed about the law and have a greater sense of responsibility of upholding the law when it comes to people’s rights.  They also may have less of a chance of being sued civilly.

 I really do not see any cons to having an educated police officer.  So if I was in charge I would mandate that all officers receive a college degree.  We must make sure that they have some training in the law and dealing with various types of people.  I think that because they are public employees who represent the state or city that they must all be formally educated.