I think you would find a lot of Vancouver police don't live in the city, simply because they can't afford it with an average home price of 1.3 million. No doubt New York is for the same reasons.
Here's the VPD payscale:
Probationary Constable – $77,983
4th Class Constable (after one year) – $83,793
3rd Class Constable (after two years) – $89,376
2nd Class Constable (after three years) – $100,542
1st Class Constable (after four years) – $111,709
For comparison, the median
household income in Vancouver is $72,585. Not sure it's an income issue.