Study: Texas Police Make The Most


Updated: February 24th, 2006 04:41 PM EDT


 
ERIC BROOKS
Officer.com News


Austin, Texas police are the best paid city force in the United States. Or so it has been determined from a major collective bargaining firm’s research. The 2006 POLICEPAY.NET index applies a formula including earnings and cost-of-living data to determine the highest paying police cities in the United States.

“Cities in the south are the worst”, generalized the founder and president of POLICEPAY.NET, Ronald York, when asked. He further singled out Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina as states with cities that fared the worst in his study.

Police who work for "core cities" come off the best, according to York. As an extreme example, he cited police in Beverly Hills who receive all the benefits of the city’s high tax base while living outside the costly city’s borders.

Texas, Nevada, California, and Michigan were said to have cities that pay their officers well after cost-of-living adjustments were made.

Police Compensation Consultants determine the ‘highest-paid cities’ based on a formula that starts with officers’ base pay; then accounts for pensions, insurance, and leave allowance among other benefits. A more detailed account of the methodology, along with the rankings of 200 cities are published on the POLICEPAY.NET INDEX

In simple dollar terms, Sunnyvale, California was determined to be the highest-paying police city. However, since goods and services are expensive in this coastal region, the city places seventeenth overall in the finalized study. Austin and Omaha officers, in contrast, do not place in the top 25 cities based on nominal earnings, yet they rank ahead of Sunnyvale overall because their costs-of-living fall below the national average.

The study’s narrative report emphasized that the calculations are not a perfect science, and that cities should not compare themselves with others that rank closely. It adds that a ‘highest-paying’ study does not account for quality of life factors, such as schools, environment, or culture.

In spite of these precautionary notes, President York has received critical feedback with frequency. Police from North Las Vegas said they were “mad” a few years ago, according to York’s account, because their first place ranking made it difficult for their side to bargain when the city “kept cramming it down their throats”. He added that between government and labor, each side tries using the study when it suits their arguments.

For broader commentary toward the study and police earnings, see, How Much Is Enough?

POLICEPAY.NET is a police-only collective bargaining consulting firm based in Oklahoma City. It has served police associations in over thirty states and is the largest compensation consultant for American police. President and founder Ronald York has given addresses to The Fraternal Order of Police Grand Lodge, The International Union of Police Associations, National Association of Police Organizations, and The National Troopers Coalition.

I notice that they don't give a $$ amount. Nassau County NY is pretty high in this state, although as the article notes, cities like that also have high costs of living.

Thats freaking sad.  There are smaller departments in this state getting paid more than us.

Thats funny cause the APD is down here at Lackland AFB and the other AFB's hiring people about once a year. On the S. side of Austin on I35 there is a old cop car in the median of the highway that has a sign in the window saying they are hiring. the last flyer I saw you started at about $32,000 (if I remeber right) at the acadmy and it went up to about $40,000 after that and onwards. Seemed like a good deal.  

ETA; right off their website;
The City of Austin is known as one of the top five safest cites to live in. The Austin Police Department is one of the top Departments in the nation.

Position
Salary

Police Cadet
$32,001

Probationary Officer
$44,570

Police Officer 1 year anniversary
$50,015

Police Officer 2 year anniversary
$55,204

Not too shabby after 2 yrs. cost of livivng around Austin is not too bad to make that work.

The avg. on Long Island, NY is $100Kplus

Quoted: The avg. on Long Island, NY is $100Kplus

Yes, but the cost of a house in Long Island averages 600,000.00.

Similar situation here. The lowest-level cop makes $90k, but a rundown shack of a house cost $900k. A normal house in an average looking area starts at $1.5 million.

Quoted: Thats funny cause the APD is down here at Lackland AFB and the other AFB's hiring people about once a year. On the S. side of Austin on I35 there is a old cop car in the median of the highway that has a sign in the window saying they are hiring. the last flyer I saw you started at about $32,000 (if I remeber right) at the acadmy and it went up to about $40,000 after that and onwards. Seemed like a good deal.   ETA; right off their website; The City of Austin is known as one of the top five safest cites to live in. The Austin Police Department is one of the top Departments in the nation. Position Salary Police Cadet $32,001 Probationary Officer $44,570 Police Officer 1 year anniversary $50,015 Police Officer 2 year anniversary $55,204 Not too shabby after 2 yrs. cost of livivng around Austin is not too bad to make that work.

Thats base salary also... don't you get the opportunity for OT?

Quoted: Quoted: The avg. on Long Island, NY is $100Kplus Yes, but the cost of a house in Long Island averages 600,000.00.

What the Hell!? That's insane!!!
Gotta love Texas!

You get what you pay for.  I never complain about basic services I think should be provided by .gov for everyone like police.  Money much better spent than on baby factories.  IMHO.

Slightly OT:  I remember visiting Hungary with my father back in the early 80's.  He was pulled over for speeding and my father offered the officer a bribe (old habits die hard).  The only reason the officer declined was because his supervisor was with him that day.  The officer seemed genuinely upset he couldn't take the bribe.  

You pay officers shit and you will get shit in return.