By: Deborah Hirsch • Courier-Post Staff • July 29, 2009

CAMDEN — City Council members voted unanimously Tuesday to extend the length of time that job applicants for police and fire jobs must reside in the city.

The action came just two and a half months after council rejected a proposal from the city's state-appointed chief operating officer to remove the requirements altogether.

Under the existing rules, those applying for police and fire jobs must live in Camden at the time they take the civil service test. But the ordinance passed on final approval Tuesday requires candidates to live in the city for at least three years before the exam date.

Once employed, police officers and firefighters may live wherever they wish. Under state law, all municipalities are prohibited from imposing residency requirements on police and firefighters after they are hired.

"Especially in today's high unemployment rate, this is needed for the city residents," said Council President Angel Fuentes. "We cannot deny that opportunity to young folks."

A half-dozen firefighters complimented councilman Gilbert "Whip" Wilson, who sponsored the ordinance, and his colleagues for giving residents "a fighting chance" at a decent job. They said this will ensure that new hires understand the culture of the city.

Police Director Louis Vega said the knowledge that job candidates get from living in the city is invaluable.

According to personnel records, 82 of the city's 242 firefighters or 34 percent, currently live in Camden. Of 375 police officers, 71, or 19 percent, are city residents. Vega counted 57 residents on the force, or about 15 percent.

Activist Kelly Francis said residency requirements are a way to make sure that new hires will be motivated to do the best possible job because they, too, have lived in the community they protect.

Unlike uniformed officers, the residency requirement is permanent for other Camden employees, with exceptions for those with professional licenses.

The question now is whether the city's COO, former Superior Court Judge Theodore Davis, will challenge council's action. Davis was not at the meeting Tuesday and his chief of staff did not respond to an e-mail request for comment.

Earlier this spring, Davis said the city wastes time and money trying to verify applicants' addresses. He said many applicants commit fraud to skirt the rule and others leave as soon as they are hired. The city also wouldn't have to wait for good candidates to establish residency if it gets the money to fill vacancies, he said.

Council members quickly dismissed Davis' arguments, saying that he was implying that the city lacked enough qualified residents to fill police and firefighter positions.

But in June, Davis said he decided to drop the issue after learning that a court order still in effect from a 1977 discrimination case required the city to establish a residency requirement for firefighters. Although that case did not mention police officers, Davis said he would let the issue go for now.

Also Tuesday, council gave unanimous final approval to a program designed to reduce feral cat populations through the trap, neuter and release method.

Under the law regulating the program, those who wish to care for feral cats without actually owning them must register with the city's animal control office. With the help of nonprofit agencies, the animals would be fixed, micro-chipped and have their ears tipped.

Code Enforcement Director Iraida Afanador said she's hoping to plan an "amnesty day' where residents who have been caring for feral animals can register them with the city without facing penalties.