Illinois ranks as 7th best state for Police Officers

In a comparison of all 50 states and how they treat their police officers, Illinois ranked 7th best. Rankings weighed safety, benefits and salaries among a host of criteria, according to a study prepared by WalletHub

With National Police Week kicking off on May 13, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2018’s Best & Worst States to Be a Police Officer.

In order to determine the best states to pursue a career in law enforcement, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 25 key indicators of police-friendliness. The data set ranges from median income for law-enforcement officers to police deaths per 1,000 officers to state and local police-protection expenses per capita.

Police officer saluting

Life & Work for Cops in Illinois (1=Best; 25=Avg.)

15^th – Law-Enforcement Officers per Capita
1^st – Median Income for Law-Enforcement Officers (Adjusted for Cost of Living)
7^th – Median Income Growth for Law-Enforcement Officers
9^th – State & Local Police-Protection Expenses per Capita
18^th – 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, please click here.

Law enforcement is a career that is always in the public eye, whether it’s for heroic reasons or scandal. It’s a profession that more than 900,000Americans hold, knowing full well the hazards associated with their occupation. In the past 10 years, for instance, more than 1,500 police officers, including 129 in 2017 alone, died in the line of duty. Tens of thousands more were assaulted and injured.

Because of such risks, law-enforcement agencies must offer enough incentives to attract and retain officers. So what qualities define a good place to live and work for police? To start, there’s a $62,960 mean annual wage that exceeds the $50,620 for all occupations. On top of that, there’s typically a generous benefits package can include retirement-contribution matches, tuition assistance, ample leave time, a take-home vehicle, and access to health and fitness facilities. Officers also may begin drawing full retirement benefits as early as age 40, depending on when they entered the force.

Beyond financial perks, officers are more likely to be attracted to police departments that steer clear of scandal and corruption and that are transparent with their communities. Public opinion on police remains divided, with younger people and minorities rating them much less positively than older caucasians. Naturally, police departments that have better relations with the areas they patrol are more attractive to new officers.

In order, therefore, to determine the best states in which to pursue a law-enforcement career, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 25 key indicators of police-friendliness. Our data set ranges from median income for law-enforcement officers to police deaths per 1,000 officers to state and local police-protection expenses per capita. Read on for our findings, commentary from a panel of researchers and full description of our methodology.

Best States to Be a Cop

Overall Rank (1=Best)	State	Total Score	‘Opportunity & Competition’ Rank	‘Job Hazards & Protections’ Rank	‘Quality of Life’ Rank
1	North Dakota	62.99	9	5	1
2	New York	59.93	2	15	12
3	Connecticut	58.48	37	1	8
4	Minnesota	57.89	13	3	27
5	California	56.87	3	6	32
6	Washington	56.84	5	4	33
7	Illinois	56.27	7	20	10
8	Texas	55.05	8	21	19
9	Maryland	53.71	12	29	7
10	Maine	52.91	48	2	15
11	New Hampshire	52.19	35	23	2
12	District of Columbia	51.62	1	49	37
13	Indiana	51.60	25	11	17
14	Massachusetts	51.50	10	9	41
15	Pennsylvania	51.36	6	27	30
16	New Jersey	50.13	17	10	36
17	South Dakota	49.95	45	7	6
18	Florida	49.90	44	17	5
19	Ohio	49.74	22	13	29
20	Michigan	49.65	11	35	21
21	Nebraska	49.35	21	8	35
22	Kansas	49.26	23	43	3
23	North Carolina	48.60	15	14	43
24	Hawaii	48.20	30	28	16
25	Arizona	48.15	16	34	26
26	Colorado	47.99	4	44	31
27	Rhode Island	47.53	26	22	28
28	Oklahoma	47.27	32	32	13
29	Virginia	46.84	20	12	48
30	Nevada	46.59	24	42	11
31	Iowa	46.34	28	25	25
32	Mississippi	45.35	27	41	14
33	Wisconsin	45.10	33	31	23
34	Oregon	44.66	40	26	24
35	Utah	44.63	51	19	9
36	Delaware	44.61	47	24	20
37	Vermont	44.19	29	18	45
38	Wyoming	43.88	18	36	42
39	Alabama	43.47	38	40	18
40	Georgia	42.97	34	16	49
41	Montana	41.47	31	46	22
42	Missouri	40.75	43	33	38
43	Tennessee	40.62	36	30	47
44	South Carolina	40.00	39	38	39
45	West Virginia	39.52	50	47	4
46	Kentucky	39.36	41	39	40
47	New Mexico	37.74	14	50	44
48	Alaska	37.39	19	51	34
49	Idaho	37.01	46	37	46
50	Louisiana	32.00	42	48	50
51	Arkansas	31.78	49	45	51

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Ray Hanania

Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

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