NYPD Officers Should Live In NYC, Mayor Says

NEW YORK CITY — New York City's 35,000 police officers should be required to live in the five boroughs, Mayor Eric Adams said Monday.

"I want you here in this city," Adams said. "Your children should be in our schools."

Adams backed Public Advocate Jumaane Williams' call for an NYPD residency requirement as he revealed Monday a gun violence prevention plan that calls for, among other things, rolling back elements of Raise the Age legislation.

The Mayor argued New Yorkers are effectively paying for police to protect areas outside the city because officers are required to respond to emergency at all hours and are therefore never off duty.

Currently uniformed NYPD officers can also live on Long Island and north of the city in Westchester, Rockland, Putnam or Orange counties.

“Why are we using our tax dollars to pay for an officer to be here for eight hours and then 16 hours he’s going to one of our five neighboring counties and protecting them?" Adams said. “That makes no sense."

The Police Benevolent Association — city's the largest police union — threw its support behind Adams' new gun violence policy Monday but raised concerns about police salaries and the cost of living in the city to the New York Post.

Much like Adams' call to amend Raise the Age — by allowing teenager in some cases to return to criminal instead of family court — this call for a residency requirement ultimately isn't the mayor's to make.

Only New York state could amend the Public Officers Law that requires only that NYPD officers live within 30 miles of the city.

New York state Sen. Kevin Parker introduced legislation in January 2021 to amend this law that currently sits in committee.