Report: Ohio among best places to be a law enforcement officer

(The Center Square) – Personal finance website WalletHub has ranked Ohio as the fifth-best state for police officers, using things such as pay, police officer deaths per 1,000 officers and local police-protection expenses per capita to rank all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Protests surrounding officer-involved shootings and calls for police reform around the country have put law enforcement officers in the spotlight. While money matters, according to the report, officers seem more likely attracted to police departments that steer clear of scandal and corruption, according to Adam McCann, a WalletHub financial writer.

Ohio’s top ranking came in the area of median income growth for officers, where it ranked third. The state also ranked eighth in median income when adjusted for cost of living.

Ohio ranked 17th in police deaths for 1,000, 18th in violent crime rate and 21st in state and local police-protection expenses per capita.

In terms of opportunity and competition, the Buckeye State was 12th, and 27th for training requirements and 21st for job hazards and protections.

“Ohio is the fifth-best state to be a police officer,” WalletHub Analyst Jill Gonzalez said. “The median income for law enforcement officers is the eighth highest in the country, and the median income growth in 2020 vs. 2019 was the third highest nationwide. Ohio also scored points for not allowing police to work before training, and for requiring de-escalation training. Other factors that contributed to the state’s high ranking included the fact that police misconduct records are public, the presence of ‘Blue Alerts’ and the low share of assaulted law enforcement officers – 4.5%.”

California ranked as the best state to be a law enforcement officer, followed by Connecticut, Maryland and the District of Columbia. Hawaii ranked as the worst, behind Nevada, Kentucky, Louisiana and West Virginia.

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