A new study reportedly contends that California, as well as other states, with strong “Defund The Police” programs are those ranked the best to be a cop. The study considers a number of factors including police killed on duty, salary, and educational prerequisites in training.
These study outcomes are likely referring to the shortage of officers in those states, where there are less officers available to be killed, higher salaries for the few and less time in the field - replaced by officer training in socialist ideologies such as racism, gender affirmation, pronoun sensitivity and the like. The logic in this study is clearly twisted.
WalletHub's "2023's Best & Worst States to Be a Police Officer" has just been released and suggests that states known for initiatives to "Defund the Police" are the best states to be a police officer. The categories consider a broad spectrum of factors including training requirements, salary, deaths per capita, education prerequisites, and income growth potentials.
In ascending order Including Washington D.C, the top ten states are; California, D.C, Connecticut, Maryland, Illinois, Ohio, Colorado, Washington, New York, and Massachusetts. In descending order, the bottom ten states are, Oregon, South Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Nevada, Kentucky, West Virginia, Alaska, and Arkansas. Reportedly, Michigan came in at 17, Pennsylvania at 14, Texas at 13, and Florida at 24. California was ranked as the best state to be in law enforcement.
In recent years, the states listed as best to be an officer in, have been the central focus of "Defund the Police" from progressive politicians and their activist counterparts. Reportedly, Los Angeles cut $150 million from the budget and San Francisco announced that police would no longer respond to non-emergency calls. To combat a crime wave, San Francisco eventually reversed its decision. Of note is the fact that Los Angeles Police Protective League, said Mayor Eric Garcetti's, decision was the-
"quickest way to make our neighborhoods more dangerous."
-Los Angeles Police Protective League,
Seeming to factor strongly in the Wallethub study, academics' opinions of police officers and their priorities were well established. Dr. Ed Maguire, Professor of Criminology at Arizona State University, told Wallethub when asked about police communication efforts.-
"First, they need to do the challenging but important work of determining if there are racial disparities in their communities. If so, those need to be addressed with urgency," ,,,"More generally, police need to invest in evidence-based training and policies on communicating with these communities, engaging in genuine dialogue in which police leaders listen to the perspectives of people in these communities to understand their view of policing. In some cases, minority communities feel both under-protected and over-policed."
-Dr. Ed Maguire, Professor of Criminology at Arizona State University
Formerly, New York City, under Bill de Blasio, cut nearly $1 billion from their budget with the Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York, claiming the mayor has "blood on his hands." Their new mayor Eric Adams, who promised to increase policing, won while candidates who focused on "Defund the Police" lost. Reportedly, New York was ranked 9th best for law enforcement.
A missing factor, not at all discussed in the study, is the effect that defunding has had on morale and police departments' ability to hire and retain officers. According to a study conducted by the Police Executive Research Forum, those regions that placed highest on their lists have had an unusually hard time retaining police.
An 18% increase in resignations and a 45% increase in the retirement rate, was the hallmark of the 2020-2021 year. That same period, Seattle lost over 200 officers alone. Chief Medaria Arradondo of Minneapolis has said his staffing issues are so bad, that police have been unable to carry out proactive policing, and are only "responding to 911 calls".
Both Washington and Minnesota saw an increase in crime rates of 55%, and WalletHub put them in the 8th and 11th spot respectively. They were placed well above states with much lower increases like Florida, Texas, and Ohio.
What a twisted way to do a study. The progressive left however, are likely thrilled with the it, because it demonstrates how much control they have been able to exert in promoting their socialist policies. Additionally, progressive “blue” states run by the Democrats, are fraught with DA’s that, in general, refuse to charge or prosecute the crimes brought to them by the police. They also promote no bail practices, promoting more of a catch and release policy.
Not only does that present a police morale problem, but the effect on the crime rate, has been staggering, across the board, as criminals note they will not be prosecuted, nor in some. if not most cases, confined. Little wonder criminals have become so emboldened and cops are leaving their jobs in droves by retiring or just flat out quitting. The progressives see this as positive until they need protection and fault the same law enforcement for not being there. Someone put it this way-
“A society which chooses war against the police better learn to make peace with its criminals.”
-Unknown