New recruits to the Hammond Police and Fire departments will no longer have to live in the city for a year. The city council voted eight-to-one this week to lift the residency requirement.
Proponents say it's necessary to remain competitive with other agencies, but Council Member Mark Kalwinski said the departments should instead focus on recruiting people who already live in Hammond. "We have 70,000 residents. People need jobs. I know the pandemic scared people away from work and they're slow to come back. But I'm willing to have the departments go after employees from the city of Hammond and concentrate on that," Kalwinski said.
Corporation Counsel Kevin Smith said the city is also looking to increase probationary pay to stay competitive and increase the diversity of its workforce. He said the Hammond Police Department expects 15 to 30 of its officers to retire in the next two to three years.
