Police Officers by State [Updated June 2023]

Which States Have the Most Law Enforcement Officers?

There are a few ways that the number of law enforcement officers can be calculated. There are some people who are curious about the states with the highest number of police officers. The states with the highest total number of police officers include:

• California has approximately 148,000 police officers.
• Texas has approximately 140,000 police officers.
• New York has approximately 126,000 police officers.
• Florida has approximately 93,000 police officers.
• Pennsylvania has approximately 60,000 police officers.

These numbers vary for a number of reasons, but one of the most important reasons is that different states have different numbers of people. Therefore, it might also be helpful to take a look at the total number of police officers per 100,000 people by state. These numbers include:

• New York has approximately 655 police officers for every 100,000 people.
• Maryland has approximately 637 police officers for every 100,000 people.
• Louisiana has approximately 614 police officers for every 100,000 people.
• Virginia has approximately 594 police officers for every 100,000 people.
• Alaska has approximately 585 police officers for every 100,000 people.

Which States Have the Fewest Police Officers Per Capita?

There are also people who are curious about the fewest number of police officers. The states that have the fewest numbers of police officers include:

• Utah has approximately 293 police officers for every 100,000 people.
• Oregon has approximately 301 police officers for every 100,000 people.
• Washington has approximately 313 police officers for every 100,000 people.
• Minnesota has approximately 317 police officers for every 100,000 people.
• Vermont has approximately 323 police officers for every 100,000 people.

Do Police Officer Numbers Change From Year To Year?

Yes, the number of police officers can change from year to year. Every year, police departments welcome new people into the academy. Then, when people finish training, they enter the police force. At the same time, police officers retire after a certain number of years on the force. Different jobs have different policies, but it can be stressful to constantly be in a patrol car. Therefore, police officers can be phased out of the force, moving to a desk job before they retire completely. Therefore, the exact numbers of police officers can change from year to year, but most states maintain a similar number of police officers every year.

What Does it Take To Become a Police Officer on the Force?

Typically, police officers are not required to have a college diploma, but they are required to finish high school. Different departments can have different philosophies, but police officers have to complete training at an academy before they are welcomed to the force. There are also other jobs within the police force that might require a college degree, but the average police officer does not require a college degree to ride in a patrol car. Police officers might also undergo psychological testing before they are welcomed to the force. This is important for analyzing how they might respond in certain stressful situations.