HARTFORD – State Senator Christine Cohen (D-Guilford) today welcomed a new national ranking that takes into account nearly 90 different metrics – including police starting pay, violent crime rates and other measurements – and ranks Connecticut as the best state in America to be a police officer.
The WalletHub survey (https://wallethub.com/edu/best-states-to-be-a-cop/34669) of all 50 states shows Connecticut with the top overall score, ranking 1st in law enforcement training requirements, 7th in job hazards and protections, and 18th in opportunity and protection.
According to the survey, states in the Northeast make up one-third of the Top 20 best states in America for police officers to live and work (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New York, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Pennsylvania). Meanwhile, many states run by Republican governors and Republican legislators fared poorly with police: Arizona ranked 34, Missouri 35, Florida 36, and South Carolina 43.
The new national ranking also notes Connecticut’s enviable position as the fourth-safest state in American when it comes to violent crime, according to the FBI.
The survey was even touted on Fox News with the headline “Law enforcement officers might want to consider moving to Connecticut”: https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/best-worst-states-police-officers-2022
“My hometown police department in Guilford is looking to hire right now, as is Branford, and they’re paying between $71,000 and $86,000, plus benefits. And we just secured nearly $5 million in the state budget this year to build a new police headquarters in North Branford,” Sen. Cohen said. “There is clearly a commitment from local officials to their police officers, and police departments are looking to expand. This national ranking is confirmation of the positive direction that Connecticut has been taking with law enforcement for some time now. It makes sense that if you are highly trained, paid well and work in a state with a low crime rate that you are going to be happy there. And that’s Connecticut.”
In order to determine the best and worst states for police officers, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 90 different metrics, generally categorized as: opportunity & competition, law enforcement training requirements, and job hazards & protections.
States were ranked on a number of metrics, including: the number of law-enforcement officers per capita; their average starting salary and salary growth potential; police officer education requirements and training hours required; availability of de-escalation training; body-worn camera laws; “Red Flag” laws to allow the seizure of guns before people can commit acts of violence; police deaths per 1,000 officers: share of law enforcement officers assaulted: a state’s violent crime and property crime rates; and the share of homicide cases solved.
Sources used include data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Officer Down Memorial Page, the National 911 Program, and others.