With National Police Week starting on May 12 and the median annual salary for a police officer reaching over $69,000, the personal-finance website WalletHub on May 6 released its report on the Best & Worst States to Be a Police Officer in 2024. The report ranked California as the best state, coming in at number one, while Alaska was at the bottom.
The WalletHub report also includes expert commentary, to help identify where this hazardous but rewarding career is the most worthwhile.
WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 30 key metrics. The data set ranges from the median income for law-enforcement officers to police deaths per 1,000 officers to state and local spending on police. After California, the rest of the top five were Illinois, Connecticut, District of Columbia and Colorado. The bottom five were West Virginia, Arkansas, Nevada, Hawaii and Alaska.
Life & Work for Cops in California (1=Best; 25=Avg.):
Overall Rank: 1st
8th – Median Income for Law-Enforcement Officers (Adjusted for Cost of Living)
19th – Median Income Growth for Law-Enforcement Officers
28th – Percentage of Homicide Cases Solved
1st – State & Local Police-Protection Expenses per Capita
13th – Police Deaths per 1,000 Officers
Note: “Law-enforcement officers” includes police and sheriff’s patrol officers, detectives and criminal investigators.
For the full report, visit: https://wallethub.com/edu/best-states-to-be-a-cop/34669
“Some states make protecting and serving the public in a law enforcement career more appealing than others. The best states for police officers offer competitive compensation, supplemented by solid training that helps minimize the chances of deadly violence between officers and civilians. State-level policies like ‘red flag laws’ or ‘Blue Alerts’ also contribute to a better environment for police,” said Cassandra Happe, WalletHub Analyst. “California is the best state to be a police officer, and it has one of the highest per-capita spending on state and local police and public safety. The average monthly starting salary of a police officer in California is a little over $5,500, the fourth-highest wage in the country. To top things off, California requires officers to take de-escalation training, which reduces the chances of fatalities for both officers and suspects, and it has ‘Blue Alerts’ which can help hasten the apprehension of suspects who injure or kill police officers.”
Expert Commentary
What is the long-term outlook for the law enforcement field?
“The law enforcement profession is facing a considerable amount of uncertainty about the future, which has caused many to have a dim outlook. However, there is reason to believe that current investments in critical issues like officer wellness, alternatives to conventional policing that ease the burden on officers themselves, and new strategies for improving legitimacy and community sentiment will pay off considerably. For sure, no one can tell the future, but there is reason to doubt the predictions of policing’s most ardent doomsayers.”
Jorge X. Camacho – Policy Director and Clinical Lecturer in Law, Yale University
Do you think police departments should invest more in technology and equipment or focus more on developing soft skills for use in community policing?
“While technology is always very important, especially predictive or preventative-based technology, agencies will never be able to keep up. Technology is always changing and improving and by the time departments purchase and install the latest and greatest technology, it is all but guaranteed that a good portion of the technology will be obsolete before its first use. Technology should not be abandoned but departments probably should be more discriminate about the choices they make. When it comes to deciding on which resources to invest in, the better option is probably the development of skills necessary for successful community policing efforts. Every community varies, and the communication, empathy, and problem-solving skills of each officer differ. Prioritizing the cultivation of these abilities to earn the appreciation and trust of the community is more beneficial for a department in the long term than solely focusing on investments in constantly evolving technology.”
Dr. Amber L. Ciccanti – Division Chair-Liberal Arts; Assistant Professor, Rowan College at Burlington County
What strategies have proven effective in diversifying the police force so that it is more representative of the community?
“Strategies that have shown to be effective in diversifying the police departments/forces include attending civic/community events especially those specifically aimed at minority populations, partnering with local organizations or educational institutions (i.e., high schools, colleges/universities), and advertising/marketing campaigns aimed toward social media outlets. Lastly, welcoming the community to participate in the process of building a more representative and inclusive police force that reflects the diversity of the communities they serve.”
Gary Krulish – Chair, Justice Studies, Berkeley College
