Is Montana A Top Spot For Cops? New Data Ranks Each State.

Let's be honest, being a police officer isn't an easy job, especially in areas with high crime rates.  What was once considered a highly respected job, has come under much scrutiny over the last several years by the media, both mainstream and social.

In fact, because of this, as well as other factors such as low pay and long hours, several officers have decided to step away from the profession and do something else. Of course, this isn't good for our cities and towns, as that means fewer good guys on the streets to take on more bad guys.

There's a new study out from our friends at WalletHub and they rank all 50 states when it comes to which states are tops when it comes to cops.

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The study used different factors to determine which states were ranked from first to worst. The following criteria were used in the research.

• Opportunity and Competition
• Law Enforcement Training Requirements
• Job Hazards and Protections

So what about Montana? Are we one of the best states to be a cop? According to the new data, not at all.  In fact, it seems that we're near the bottom of the list.

Montana is ranked 39th out of the 50 states when it comes to the Best States for Cops. In fact, the only state in our region that is ranked lower is the state of Oregon.

So, why is Montana ranked so low?

Well, when you take a look at the criteria used, and how we do based on that criteria, it starts to make a little more sense. When it comes to Opportunity and Competition, Montana is ranked 16th, and 35th for Law Enforcement Training Requirements, and 36th for Job Hazards and Protections.

This isn't good news, especially for those Montana communities that are experiencing a shortage of officers and are looking to recruit.  It looks like somehow the state and local cities and towns are going to have to get creative when it comes to improving overall conditions for law enforcement.