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Dilemmas of Police Residency - Views From the Street

NCJ Number
90020
Journal
Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 11 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1983) Pages: 194-199
Author(s)
S F Coleman
Date Published
1983
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This study examines how police officers view local residency (police officers living the jurisdiction they patrol) through interviews in an 85-member police department in a lower middle-class community of about 40,000 ('Reverton').
Abstract
The study suggests that police administrators and public officials interested in good police-community relations should consider the advantages of requiring police officers to live in the community they patrol. Such officers seem to have a better feel for the people and the problems of the community. Further, living in the community puts pressure on police to conduct themselves properly in the field. In some cases, officers might even be required to live in the neighborhood they patrol. While this is not necessary in a small to moderate-sized community, in large cities, a 'neighborhood' requirement would be practical. Otherwise, officers might live in a section of the city far removed from the character of the community and the people with whom they interact on the job. Disadvantages of the residency requirement are that it makes officers easy targets for retribution. Moreover, it can lead to police favoritism as officers give breaks to people they know. Also, there is the problem of officers being able to afford the cost of living in some communities. Eight references are listed.