According to WalletHub's findings, the top five best states to be a police officer are Washington, D.C., California, Connecticut, Maryland, and Illinois -- five places that have seriously considered defunding the police in recent years.
Factors like salaries and income growth, training requirements, and educational prerequisites were considered, but Randy Sutton of The Wounded Blue says none of those is how law enforcement officers measure career satisfaction.
"This is a study by academics who don't have any real-world knowledge about a law enforcement career," he begins. "They used a couple of metrics that basically revolve around economics."
First of all, he notices that the financial company failed to note the states where police are leaving and the states to where they are going.
"Florida is seeing a huge influx of cops from around the country, especially from the defund the police areas. Texas is as well because of the working conditions, and they're appreciated more," Sutton tells AFN.
He says most police officers are most satisfied with their careers when they have the support of their communities.
"Cops are depending on the community that they serve," he asserts. "That's what determines whether or not they're satisfied with their careers. They want to be appreciated."
The culture of a police department is also a big factor.
"It's really about leadership," Sutton says. "The leadership of a police agency is what determines whether or not police officers are satisfied with their jobs."
In short, he says officers want to be respected by their police leaders and by their communities.
