Want to Be a Cop? Connecticut Just Ranked One of the Best States to Do It

According to WalletHub, Connecticut is officially one of the best states in America to be a police officer, ranking second overall in the country. Honestly, that probably won’t surprise anyone who has spent more than five minutes arguing with somebody from Connecticut because this state already thinks it’s elite at basically everything.

Get our free mobile app

The report looked at dozens of factors tied to law enforcement careers, including police salaries, safety, training requirements, benefits, and workplace conditions. California grabbed the top spot, but Connecticut came in right behind them, beating out states like Illinois, Maryland, New York, and Massachusetts.

Here’s how the Top 10 shook out according to WalletHub:

1. California
2. Connecticut
3. Illinois
4. Maryland
5. District of Columbia
6. Colorado
7. Minnesota
8. Washington
9. Tennessee
10. Ohio

One of the biggest reasons Connecticut scored so high is the amount of training officers are required to complete before they ever hit the streets. According to WalletHub, Connecticut requires more than 1,300 hours of basic training, which is the highest total in the nation, along with another 400 hours of field training. The state also doesn’t allow officers to begin working before that training is completed.

Basically, Connecticut’s attitude appears to be: “You’re not winging this.”

The state also ranked highly because it’s considered relatively safe for officers compared to many other parts of the country. Connecticut reportedly has one of the nation’s lowest rates of violent crime, low numbers of assaults against police officers, and fewer police killings per capita than most states.

The study also pointed to Connecticut’s required de-escalation training, Blue Alert system, and red flag laws as contributing factors.

Of course, being a police officer anywhere in America comes with enormous pressure right now. Every interaction can end up under a microscope, fairly or unfairly, and the profession has changed dramatically over the last decade. But according to WalletHub’s numbers, Connecticut is doing more than most states to prepare officers for the realities of the job.

Also, this ranking feels very Connecticut. We may complain about literally everything here, but when it comes to training, certifications, rules, and qualifications, nobody does “intensely overprepared” quite like the Nutmeg State.