Should NYPD Police Officers Be Required To Live In NYC? [POLL]

NEW YORK — The new mayor of New York City wants NYPD police officers to live and work in the city.

On Monday, Mayor Eric Adams said he backs requiring the city's 35,000 police officers to live in the five boroughs.

For that to happen, the Public Officers Law would have to be changed and only New York state can do that.

The law requires that NYPD officers live within 30 miles of the city.

According to the NYPD's Police Officer FAQ, besides being a United States citizen and having a New York driver's license, police officers must live in one of the five boroughs or Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, Westchester, Putnam or Orange counties within 30 days of being hired.

Having to live in New York City might be tough to manage on a city cop's salary.

Before overtime, NYPD police officers start at $42,500 a year, the New York Post reported.

One of Adams's concerns was that, since the police are never really off duty, the city's tax dollars are being used to protect Long Island and the lower Hudson Valley where they are living.

The NYPD said 52 percent of NYPD police officers live outside of the city, NY1 reported.

Former Mayor Bill de Blasio said in 2020 he was skeptical of having a residency requirement because there's not enough affordable housing in the city, NY1 said.

A bill introduced in January 2021 by state Sen. Kevin Parker, D-Brooklyn, would amend the Public Officers Law to include a city residency requirement. It's currently "in committee."

So now it's your turn to weigh in on the issue. Vote in our unscientific poll and tell us what you think in the comments.