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bitpushr t1_j20c7c2 wrote

Reply to comment by Yak_Rodeo in Globe Editorial Board: Boston police union needs to accept new realities of policing by GlobeOpinion

> im not following. its not a good thing to have police living in and invested in the community they police?

I suppose it is in theory, but how do you quantify it? How do you weigh the benefits (which are admittedly difficult to measure) with the reality that you are drastically limiting your pool of applicants for jobs?

Do you think someone living in Roslindale is going to be a better cop (or 911 dispatcher or arborist or...) than someone from Needham just because they live in Roslindale?

And if the answer to this is "Yes", how do you reconcile that with the fact that Boston Public Schools does not require its teachers to live in Boston? I would argue that teaching kids is a pretty important job...

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Yak_Rodeo t1_j20eepv wrote

i think policing is a different beast from teaching or being a 911 dispatcher and officers are expected to be nearby to be able to respond to a major event

i agree with you that they are limiting the talent pool, and i think a provision could be reached to allow people who take the position time to move into the city

i would like my police force to be able to vote in local elections, know and shop at the local businesses and interact with members of the community they police outside of negative or enforcement oriented meetings.

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boardmonkey t1_j2178h3 wrote

I think the problem that we are running into is that it isn't affordable for many to live in the city, especially for 911 dispatch. We are tied for the most expensive rents in the nation.

The average dispatcher yearly salary is $46,624 and average rent for a 811 sqft apartment is $3772, which is $45,264. They could live in Quincy where the median rent is $2.261 a month, or $27,132 yearly.

Also, living in the city doesn't mean they live in their patrol area. They can live in Dorchester and patrol the North End. They would have the same understanding of the location as if they lived outside the city.

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mgzukowski t1_j21p9jo wrote

It just sounds like the city should pay better. No city worker should not be able to afford to live in the city they work in.

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bitpushr t1_j20jxqb wrote

I actually agree with you that, in theory, it is a good idea. But there is a surprising lack of evidence that residency requirements help, and there is even some evidence that they actually make things worse.

I would rather hire a great officer who cares and lives somewhere else than an ambivalent one who lives next door.

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mycoplasma79 t1_j21huty wrote

For the same reason jury duty is localized. We know what is normal and what is egregious in our communities. Cops should too.

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2old4badbeer t1_j23hib8 wrote

There are plenty of criminals who take their arrest personally no matter the circumstances. Why aren’t judges required to come from the community, then?

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cyanastarr t1_j217xud wrote

Are Boston public schools known for being good?

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