DC, Maryland among best places to be a police officer: report
DUMFRIES, Va. - It's good to be a cop in the DMV.
According to a new WalletHub study, Washington D.C. is the fourth-best place to be a police officer, and Maryland is the sixth.
To rank the best and worst states for police officers, the WalletHub team said they used a formula that compared the 50 states and D.C. across three key dimensions: opportunity and competition, law enforcement training requirements, plus job hazards and protections.
Then, they said they used 30 additional relevant metrics, ranging from the median income for law-enforcement officers to police deaths per 1,000 officers to state and local spending on police, to come up with the scores.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 06: A police vehicle is seen at Washington Circle in Foggy Bottom after a dangerous suspect escaped custody at George Washington University hospital earlier in the day in Washington, DC on September 06, 2023. (Photo by Crai
The report indicates that while the job may be hazardous and crime is high, D.C. is rich in opportunity, officers are paid pretty well, and the training requirements are top-notch.
"Some states make protecting and serving the public in a law enforcement career more appealing than others," said WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe. "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."
Check out the full study here.