5 US States with the Highest Number of Police Officers Per Capita

In this article, we take a look at the 5 US states with the highest number of police officers per capita. If you would like a detailed analysis of the police industry, you can go to the 25 US States with the Highest Number of Police Officers Per Capita. 

5. Wyoming

Total Agencies: 77

Total Police Personnel: 3,016

Personnel Per 100,000 Residents: 522

Per Capita Police Officers: 0.00522

Wyoming has only 77 police agencies, but it has one of the highest numbers of police officers per capita in the US. The state has 48 local police departments and 22 Sheriff’s offices; the remaining seven belong to the other categories of law enforcement offices.

4. New York

Total Agencies: 528

Total Police Personnel: 103,882

Personnel Per 100,000 Residents: 532

Per Capita Police Officers: 0.00532

In July 2023, the NYPD in New York started testing a new emergency broadcast system, as reported by The Verge. The system used drones to warn about extreme weather events or nearby emergencies. The decision came after the city experienced weeks of flooding due to heavy rains.

3. Louisiana

Total Agencies: 326

Total Police Personnel: 25,157

Personnel Per 100,000 Residents: 540

Per Capita Police Officers: 0.00540

Louisiana is one of the US states with the highest number of police officers per capita, totaling 540 personnel per 100,000 residents. The state has 222 local police departments and 63 sheriffs’ offices.

2. Oklahoma

Total Agencies: 456

Total Police Personnel: 21,268

Personnel Per 100,000 Residents: 540

Per Capita Police Officers: 0.00540

Moore Police Department was the first law enforcement agency to start using the VR training program by Apex Officer. On February 16, 2023, the company reported that Moore PD had kicked off the year 2021 with this new training program for their officers.

1. District of Columbia

Total Agencies: 3

Total Police Personnel: 5,485

Personnel Per 100,000 Residents: 782

Per Capita Police Officers: 0.00782

Washington D.C., also known as the District of Columbia, is number one on our list of US states with the highest number of police officers per capita. Although the District isn’t technically a state, its high number of per capita ranking makes it worthy of a spot on this list.

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