Illinois Cops Best Paid, But Worst At Solving Murders: Study

ILLINOIS ­— Illinois is among the best places in the United States to work as a police officer, according to a new study, which determined that the state ranks third nationally in offering the best working conditions for cops.

The study, released by WalletHub, ranked Illinois behind only Connecticut and California and just ahead of the District of Columbia based on a number of factors of what WalletHub called police-friendliness and other categories including salary and police deaths per 1,000 officers.

Illinois was the highest-ranked state in median income for law enforcement officers on a scale that is adjusted for cost of living. The state ranked eighth in state and local police protection expenses per capita and in median income growth for law enforcement officers, the study showed. The state ranked 13th nationally in the number of law enforcement officers per capita and 22nd in police deaths per 1,000 officers.

However, one area where the state fell remarkably short was in the percentage of murders solved — a category in which Illinois ranked 51st, according to WalletHub.

The study mainly based its findings on ranking states on a scale of 1-100 in categories of opportunity and competition, law enforcement training requirements, and job hazards and protections, WalletHub said.

The study found that the COVID-19 pandemic has presented a new series of challenges to police officers, including enforcing COVID-19 restrictions. However, even when the country was not in the middle of a global health crisis, WalletHub said that being a police officer is “significantly more dangerous” than other occupations.

With that being the case, departments must offer competitive pay and benefits to entice people to become police officers, and then provide enough financial incentives to retain officers. The study found that the mean average pay in the U.S. for police officers is about $66,000, which goes along with a generous benefits package.