What does it cost to train a police officer?
The average cost of police academy training is $6,500, but according to the national Police Foundation, the real cost is a minimum of $100,000 in supervised on-the-job training and 18 months of probationary duty before an officer is ready for the job. In larger cities, it may take two or three years before an officer is considered fully trained. Some estimates put the total cost as high as $240,000.
The average salary for a police officer in Florida in 2017 was $54,170 according to Glassdoor, a jobs pay ranking website. The average annual pension is $23,400.
Additionally, a 2014 study conducted by the Journal of Criminal Justice Education looked at 2,109 officers in mid-sized to large police departments around the country found that 45% of them had a four-year college degree.
Finding and training the best police officers costs money; retaining quality employees saves money. A highly trained and educated police force is an investment that impacts a city’s public safety, quality of life and property values. Death, disability and retirement benefits are a primary attraction to the best applicants for the job.
- According to Glassdoor’s 2015 Employment Confidence Survey, 80% of employees would choose additional benefits over a pay raise.
- A 2017 Willis Towers Watson survey showed 60% of workers say their employer’s retirement plan is their primary means for saving for retirement. Police officers contribute to their retirement plans with every paycheck for the duration of their careers and many will not receive Social Security benefits.
Join us in making Florida’s municipal employees an educated workforce, and we’ll teach them what they need to know to safeguard the financial health of their pension plans. Visit www.fppta.org to learn how we can help.
