NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee’s GOP-controlled General Assembly has advanced legislation banning local officials from requiring police officers to live in the county they patrol.
House and Senate lawmakers had gone back and forth whether the ban should apply statewide or only in Memphis. There the police chief has argued the region’s residency requirement has hindered recruitment efforts and staffing shortages.
On Monday, the House agreed to the Senate’s statewide application. It now goes to Republican Gov. Bill Lee’s desk for his signature.
Nationwide, questions have long swirled around whether residency requirements improve relationships between police and communities, though they’ve been in place for decades.
