Pending Bill Would Require Cops and Firefighters To Live In The Towns They Serve

The New Jersey State Senate and Assembly have passed a bill that would require municipal police officers and firefighters to live in the towns where they work for their first five years on the job.

Upon appointment, a newly hired police or fire employee would be required to begin residing in the town where they work six months after their hiring date under A4265, which is now awaiting final approval from Governor Chris Christie.

If approved, the bill could have serious ramifications for Montclair.

During a meeting of the municipal Civil Rights Commission in January, Police Chief David Sabagh reported that only 13 out of the town’s 102 police officers live in Montclair.

Some of the township’s police live as far away as Point Pleasant, Sabagh stated.

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