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Yak_Rodeo t1_j20eepv wrote

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

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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