Texas police officers are paid some of the highest average salaries in the country. Police and sheriff’s patrol officers have a median income of $51,220,
LawEnforcementEdu.net reported, citing the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Detectives and criminal investigators earn $71,760 and police supervisors have a median annual gain of $77,190.
According to Indeed, the average pay is $27,000.
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Police Link named two places in Texas as the top cities for police officers.
Taking the top tier, Austin’s starting police salary is $52,374. Given the praise of being the No. 1 city on the list, Austin boasts job growth and one of the lowest changes in unemployment since the recession.
In the No. 2 spot, San Antonio earns accolades for having one of the best salary-to-cost-of-living ratios in the United States. Unemployment has remained steady since the recession, and the city has managed to flourish with tourism and growth of opportunities. Average starting salary for officers is $44,136.
Nonetheless, not all has been good in the crime fighting business in Texas. A McKinney, Texas, police officer came under fire recently when a video was released depicting a chaotic situation in which cops were breaking up a pool party,
according to The Huffington Post. One officer is shown on top of a teen girl, holding her to the ground.
With other instances of police brutalities making their way into the national media scope, several states and departments have looked into placing body cameras on law enforcement officers to record events that occur on the job. Many think the footage will help with investigations.
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Body camera footage was used recently to clear two officers in Palestine, Texas, after they
shot and killed James Bushey, KLTV reported.
Bushey was accused of stealing alcohol from a local Wal-Mart, and Police Sgt. Gabriel Green escorted the alleged criminal with officer Kaylyn Griffin from an Applebee’s in town.
Bushey drew what appeared to be a handgun from his pocket, and both police officers shot multiple times. The weapon turned out to be a BB gun.
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