As police officers do you think the pay is equel to the risk you are faced with on a day to day basis?

Andrew,

That is an interesting question. How much is jeopardizing your life worth? Should an officer be paid more than the people he/she is protecting (highly important people, such as when doing dignitary protection)? It's always discussed. There is a perceived pecking order, but where exactly do the peacekeepers fit in?

There are some departments that are relatively safe. There are others where day in and day out you are handling domestic disturbances, etc. They all carry risk, but some are riskier than others. As an officer, it's in the back of your mind, but, you don't really think about it. You rely on your training, and your fellow officers, to keep you safe. Many officers go through a career without ever having to fire a weapon.

Sometimes, the things that make me question "is it worth it"? would be missing holidays with the family, the kid's football games, etc. Or standing out in the cold and the rain working traffic. Sure, there are times we all muttered "they don't pay me enough for this ****, " but, that was usually in response to some policy put down by mgt that we did not agree with (usually petty stuff, like, keeping a log sheet of all the perimeter gates we checked).

How much is enough $? I don't know. Officers often get other pay on top of their base pay. Extra for college hours, police certification level, being a field training officer, bilingual pay, shift differential, clothing allowance, range-master, training instructor, etc. You also have the opportunity to use pre-tax dollars for medical expenses and investments.

I am hoping you are learning financial management skills in high school. Without these skills, no matter how much you make, it is never enough. Learning to control spending, and, how to save and invest, is important.

Law enforcement is a special "calling." It's not all about the money. It has to do with believing that you can make a meaningful difference in making your community a safer place for all.

I'm not sure I answered your question, but, hope I have helped!