Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren and City Council President Loretta Scott have jointly announced support for a residency requirement that would have all new city police officers live in Rochester.
The ordinance would not affect veteran officers, and it would require a home rule message be approved by the state legislature at the request of city council.
Mayor Warren said at a news conference that:
“Having our police officers live in the community they protect and serve will build relationships and strengthen our neighborhoods.” “Ultimately, both officers and their neighbors will benefit and, I’m confident, our city will be safer because of connections made. Also, we will keep vital dollars and resources in Rochester rather than see them leave our community.”
Of more than 700 sworn officers on the Rochester Police force, only 47 of them live in the city. That includes Chief La’Ron Singletary. Buffalo and Syracuse are also pursing similar laws.
The head of the Rochester patrol officers union says he’s “frustrated, annoyed and disappointed” at Mayor Warren’s announcement of a plan for new police recruits to live in the city.
Mike Mazzeo of the Police Locust Club says this is the sort of thing that should be worked out in collective bargaining…not suddenly sprung on the union.
Mazzeo says the proposed city residency requirement is going to make it harder to recruit and retain new officers.
Mazzeo…who says he once tried to buy a house in the city but went to Irondequoit after he couldn’t get a mortgage…says what really damaged police-community relations in Rochester was the ending of neighborhood police sections in 2004. Those are being restored under Mayor Warren’s administration.