Big Picture Recap

Salaries are Up, Employment Per Capita is Down

Cities with large increases: Manchester, NH (196%), Alameda, CA (110%), New Orleans, CA (84%), Summit, NJ (83%)

Corroboration of Police Salaries in 2017:

Comparison to Other Occupations

Note in Definition Differences:

Census of Governments - “Payroll”: : “Payroll amounts represent gross payroll for the 1-month period of March (31 days). Gross payroll includes all salaries, wages, fees, commissions, bonuses, or awards paid to employees during the pay period that includes the date of March 12.” Tech Doc

BLS OES - “Wages”:

The following are included in wage: base rates, commissions, COLA, hazard pay, tips. The following are excluded: back pay, bonus, overtime pay, severance pay. Definition.

Note also that BLS Police Officers and Firefighters would include those that work for cities, counties, and state governments, which also explains some of the difference.

Tax Rates are going down slower than home prices are increasing

Massachussetts

California

Texas (Avg City + County Total Tax Rate)

No Discernable Impact of BLM

Police Salaries over Time

Police Employment per Capita over Time

Places that started with less crime saw greater salary increases

Hypo 1: Risk Compensation? No

Police and Firefighting Have Gotten Safer

Types of Injuries

Increases in Danger are not Corrolated with Salary Increases

Crime and Fires are Down

Hypo 2: Bargaining Power? Maybe

Unions are Correlated with Salary Increases for Police but not Teachers

Hypo 3: Equal Rent Sharing

Budgets: Overall increasing, but shares slightly decreasing

Police and Fire Numbers Generally Move Together

Change in Salaries

Pension Costs