Rye police officers may be allowed to live as far away as Dutchess County under a proposed local law headed to public hearing on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026.

Public Safety Commissioner Michael Kopy requested the change, which would add counties beyond what New York State law permits for officer residency. The City Council introduced the proposal at its July meeting and scheduled the Aug. 12 hearing for public comment before any vote.

Rye's municipal code has no chapter addressing where police officers must live, City Corporation Counsel Kristen Wilson confirmed. That gap means the city defaults to state Public Officers Law §3-b, which limits hires to residents of the same county or contiguous counties.

Dutchess County is not contiguous to Westchester. Putnam County sits between them, making Dutchess residents currently ineligible to serve as Rye officers under state law.

The proposed law would bring Rye in line with at least eight other Westchester municipalities that already allow broader residency, including Rye Brook, Harrison, Bedford, Briarcliff Manor, Mount Pleasant, Ossining, Tarrytown, and the Westchester County Department of Public Safety.

City Manager Brian Shea called the practical effect of the change "relatively limited" but said the current code gap leaves Rye out of step with most other Westchester municipalities. City officials said the change is aimed at widening the applicant pool for future hires.

The Westchester County Department of Human Resources, which administers the police officer exam used to fill Rye vacancies, held its most recent exam on Saturday, May 3, 2025. The next exam is not expected until 2029, according to the county's published exam schedule.

No staffing numbers or vacancy figures were released to quantify how many additional candidates the rule change might attract.

Kopy, who joined the department in 2021 after a nearly 32-year career with the New York State Police, lives in Mamaroneck, within the current residency limits. He requested the change to help future recruits, not to address his own eligibility.

The Aug. 12 public hearing is open to residents. No vote on the measure has been scheduled.