SC one of worst states for police officers, study says

According to a recent study, South Carolina is one of the worst states to be a police officer.

WalletHub ranked South Carolina as No. 45 out of all of the states and the District of Columbia in a study of the best and worst states for police officers.

WalletHub released the findings Tuesday before national Police Week, which starts May 14.

The study analyzed 20 factors of police friendliness, median income for officers, police deaths, state and police protections and crime rates.

South Carolina ranked 37th in the “opportunity and competition” category, 42nd in “job hazards and protections” category and 39th in “quality of life” rankings.

According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, the annual mean wage for police and sheriff’s patrol officers was $42,180 in 2016, compared to $62,760 across the country.

South Carolina has had at least 19 officer-involved shootings so far in 2017, according to S.C. Law Enforcement Division.

The only states that ranked lower than South Carolina were Tennessee, Kentucky, New Mexico, Alaska, Arkansas and Louisiana, respectively.

This story was originally published May 9, 2017 at 1:16 PM with the headline "SC one of worst states for police officers, study says."