Boston City Council Says No to Waiving Police Residency Requirement Despite Understaffing
The City Council rejected a resolution by Councilor Ed Flynn to waive residency requirements for police officers transferring from departments outside the City. Boston’s municipal code requires the city to maintain at least 2,500 sworn police officers. In May, BPD reported only 2,102 sworn officers.
“We need hundreds of recruits due to retirements, resignations, and transfers. Waiving the residency requirement could potentially aid the recruitment process,” Flynn said. “Especially during these challenging times, we need to do everything we can to make it easier to recruit police officers.”
Boston cops, like other public employees, must reside within the city. BPD officers, specifically, are required to live in the city for one year before taking the civil service exam. All city workers must remain residents for the duration of their employment, subject to union rules, and must submit proof of residency each year. Failure to comply is treated as a voluntary termination.
Flynn argued that officers are subject to consistent 16-hour shifts, which impede their ability to maintain public safety. He added that officers he had spoken to during recent National Night Out events reported that their schedules impede their work-life balance, causing major strain on marriages, children, and public safety.
“We have the ability to waive the requirement for those currently serving as police officers in other cities and towns. Giving those officers the opportunity to live in their own city or town… especially during these challenging times, we need to do everything we can to make it easier to recruit police officers in Boston.”
Flynn’s resolution was supported by Councilors Erin Murphy and John FitzGerald. The former argued that though she would prefer all city jobs be filled by city residents, applications for the police department have waned in recent years, with low morale and weak support from the City making law enforcement a less appealing career path.
FitzGerald added that he, too, supports residency requirements, but Boston needs to be flexible to the reality of its situation.
“Even though it really would pain me, I think there are ways we can do it to make sure Boston residents get priority onto the police force,” he said. “But we do have to be open and flexible to the times and the reality that the police force is not attracting as many people as we need.”
Councilor Julia Mejia said that she appreciates the intent of Flynn’s resolution, but that the resolution would impede having a more diverse workforce. She argued that when officers are more diverse, they interact with communities with more cultural competency.
“Not just because of race, but also because you live here in the city of Boston. When you live here in the city of Boston, that is a whole different way you’re going to show up,” she said.
Mejia added the city should strengthen recruitment efforts through Boston Public Schools and non-profit partners, and prioritize proactive crime prevention measures.
“We can alleviate some of the drama and trauma that our police officers are carrying if we invest more in the things that prevent violence from happening in the first place,” Mejia said.
Councilor Miniard Culpepper acknowledged the difficult circumstances faced by BPD, but said Flynn’s resolution responded to the consequences of the problem without actually solving it.
“If we truly believe that BPD is one of the finest departments in the world, with world-class training, high standards, and a culture of professionalism, then we should expect every officer who wears this badge to meet those same standards from the very beginning,” he said. “We work too hard to build public confidence in this department to lower expectations now.”
Culpepper suggested improving incentives, investing in community-based recruitment, and creating stronger pathways into law enforcement.
Though Flynn’s was rejected 3 to 9, a resolution he sponsored allowing retired BPD officers to pick up paid detail on renewable, year-long terms was passed nearly unanimously.
A hearing studying waiving residency requirements and allowing transfers from other municipalities has still been referred to committee to be scheduled in the coming weeks.
