Philly PD WASTING great recources for STUPID requirement!!!!

[shadow_soldier]

Hey guys...when the HELL is Philly going to lift this stupid "live in the city for atleast a year BEFORE we will hire you" & "you gotta live in the city" rule. As of today, 4-5-07 I know of 29 officers/recruits (including myself) who would love to work for the city of Philidelphia, but aren't stupid enough to wanna live in the areas officers are forced too due to salary. I just noticed they are running all sorts of recruiting ads and banners online to get officers but ONLY those who live in the city 1 year before hire I guess are the only ones worth it.

Its actually sad that they are overlooking 1000's of great recruits and officers because of a requirement that is OBVIOUSLY hurting the dept. Any chance there are any Philly guys here who have heard anything on lifitng this rule????????????

[Bearcat357]

Hey guys...when the HELL is Philly going to lift this stupid "live in the city for atleast a year BEFORE we will hire you" & "you gotta live in the city" rule. As of today, 4-5-07 I know of 29 officers/recruits (including myself) who would love to work for the city of Philidelphia, but aren't stupid enough to wanna live in the areas officers are forced too due to salary. I just noticed they are running all sorts of recruiting ads and banners online to get officers but ONLY those who live in the city 1 year before hire I guess are the only ones worth it.

Its actually sad that they are overlooking 1000's of great recruits and officers because of a requirement that is OBVIOUSLY hurting the dept. Any chance there are any Philly guys here who have heard anything on lifitng this rule????????????

It's been like that for years....so don't hold your breath....

[tp2165]

shadow_soldier,
I hope they lift the requirements soon, because based on your screen name, sig line, bio, etc., they are missing out on an exceptional candidate I have always heard that they had that residency requirement.

[MikeUD]

The pre-employment residency requirement is to help ensure that you know your way around and know where you are when on duty. Many urban areas have such a requirement. It's the one thing that kept me from applying for the Atlantic City Police. Navigating an urban environment is a LOT different from an area that's primarily suburban or rural. Tight alleys, one way streets all over the place, illogical road name continuity...it can often be too much for someone unfamiliar with it. I've been going to Philly usually once a week for the past 4-5 years, and still have trouble figuring out where I am and where I'm going in unfamiliar areas. Unless they put navigation systems in every squad car, new officers would be taking much longer than needed to get to complaints. IMHO, anyway.

I never understood during-employment residency requirements, though.

[orlandofed5-0]

Why is it a stupid requirement? Hell the suburbs have it as an unwritten requirement.

There are decent areas to live inside the city.

[CJguy]

The residency requirment is a bunch of crap in my opinion also. You would think that Philly PD is going to run out or has already run out of most qualified canidates. Soon most of the Philly PD will be some gang banger helping out their gangs on the inside. Most of the Philly Cops I know, don't or didn't know where the hell they were when they first started. You take someone who has been living in Philly, but has never been in the 25th and throw them there, they don't know where they are yet either.

I also emailed the Philly HR department, and they stated that it would not be changing and there were no future changes.

[Nate_07]

This makes no sense. Your fto period is formed to help you learn the streets of the city for which you will be working for. If you look at large city's such as Seattle, new York, LA etc. they will all have complicated street's.

[tp2165]

I work with some guys who are from Philly and they wouldn't go back. To each there own, good luck anyway.

[e-man]

PURE AND SIMPLE???

Philly and Pittsburgh and maybe H-burgh have residency because of one reason and one only..

POLITICS

[orlandofed5-0]

This makes no sense. Your fto period is formed to help you learn the streets of the city for which you will be working for. If you look at large city's such as Seattle, new York, LA etc. they will all have complicated street's.

Philly has no real FTO. Basically assigned to a district and partnered with another officer or given a district map.

[shook0002]

Where to start. Well, we are out of qualified applicants, but the residency rule will never change its in the city charter. I disagree with knowing the city before you become a cop here, I've worked here all my life, lived here for 10 years, and been a cop here for 5 years (with transit and then ppd) and I was put in a district where I have no clue, damn I still have a problem sometimes. We really have no FTO at all, its work with another officer for like a month then its your on your own, but usually if theres a priority call a few cars are going in and guys will help you out and cell phones are a must.

[shadow_soldier]

guys thanks for all your input and thoughts. TP2165 not sure if you were being sarcastic or serious but I do infact believe I could do very well with PPD, but as i stated..NOT going to live in the city. Sure if the salary paid $60-70 base I could afford a good part of town..but in that atmosphere (such as philly) I don't wanna live where I work. Hell, I work in Reading, PA and it's bad enough here..let alone philly as far as living.

Whatever the case it's my belief the city of philly is ruining its own PD with its rules..and the people suffering the most are the officers already on the force hoping to get relief or solid teammates in the near future....

[PPDSWD]

shadow soldier,

Is the requirement stupid, some say yes some say no. I as a Philadelphia police officer and a life long resident of the city, I don't mind the requirement. You saying that you or the others you know who want to work for the city but are not "stupid enough" to live here I take offense to that. If I am stupid for living in the city that I police and not minding that, then I can guess you can call me stupid. But the reality of it is if someone wants the job live here for a year and get the job.

P.S. Shadow why do you want to work for Philly?

[shadow_soldier]

PPDSWD...I agree and apologize for the bluntness of my statement...I just would rather not live where I work. In todays world it's just NOT like 20 years ago when a guy was arrested he knew he messed up and accepted it and didn't look for revenge, or wasn't part of some thug street gang who has access to your wife or god forbid my child and is looking for a way to "get even". As a PPD officer you know how people are these days...and being able to drive home after my shift and "get away" if you will is always a nice release for me.

As for why, I love Philly...Eagles fan, love some of the clubs, resteraunts, night life, location to my family, etc... That and your big city PD's offer great chances at advancement and oppertunity (i.e. SWAT, K9, HOMICIDE, TRAFFIC, DET, ETC...) and not to mention I like being busy...you should def know the shift can fly by when your 10 calls in the hole..

[PPDSWD]

shadow,

no problem brother, you said 10 calls in the hole, wait until your 30 in the hole then the fun really starts.