NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang said he supports requiring new NYPD officers to live in the five boroughs, prompting pushback from police unions.
During a radio interview with Brian Lehrer on Wednesday, Yang said a caller was "correct that new officers should be required to live in the city, hopefully, in the neighborhoods that they're actually policing, because talk about being able to understand the community better—you should be of the community, certainly, when you start on the force."
"That I believe could fundamentally change the dynamic, because instead of seeing folks as strangers or potential perpetrators, you see them as your neighbors," Yang said.
Pat Lynch, president of the Police Benevolent Association, reacted to Yang's comments in a statement on the union's Facebook page.
"We can't talk about changing the NYPD residency requirements without talking about police officers' pay," Lynch said. "New York City police officers are still paid upwards of 30 less than other cops in our area. Requiring them to live in the city and shoulder its sky-high cost of living on a below-market salary will hurt NYPD recruitment efforts, not improve them."
Paul DiGiacomo, president of the Detectives Endowment Association union, also responded to Yang, telling the New York Post in part: "His idea is really just another way to shrink the headcount of the department—another anti-police initiative affecting New Yorkers who need us the most."
However, Yang's support for changing residency requirements for new officers may be a moot point, since it is state law that makes exemptions for police officers if they live in counties within 30 miles of the city.
The city website also lays out the residency requirements for new officers: "You must also be a United States citizen, have a valid New York driver license and live in one of the city's five boroughs or Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, Westchester, Putnam or Orange counties within 30 days of being hired."
