Camden worker residency requirements redux

The wait to become a police officer or firefighter in Camden may be getting longer.

Two months after the city's chief operating officer, Theodore Z. Davis, aggravated City Council by introducing an ordinance that would eliminate the current one-year residency requirement, the council last night voted 7-0 to extend to three years the time a person must live in Camden before qualifying to take the firefighter or police exam.

The move was met with support from active and retired police and fire professionals at the meeting. They said city residents know the city better and should be afforded the opportunity to have secure, well-paying jobs.

Davis has the power to veto the ordinance. If the council challenged the veto, the matter would go before a judge. - Matt Katz