NJ Police Salaries Highest in Nation

But not in Camden, the state's top-ranked city for violence

Police in New Jersey are the highest paid in the entire country, according to a lengthy report and data analysis by The Star-Ledger.

But, in the one city where violent crime ranks highest -- Camden -- those officers, on average, are among the lowest-paid municipal police officers in the entire state.

Some of the report's key findings:

  • The average municipal police officer in New Jersey made $89,630 last year. The average Joe-Citizen made $50,313.
  • Three out of 10 officers made over $100,000 in 2009.
  • Suburban cops make the most money.

In Camden, routinely among the country’s most violent cities, the median salary was $79,656 last year.

Richard Loccke, a Hackensack labor attorney who represents several local police unions, said poorer areas have long paid their officers less.

"That’s a conundrum that nobody’s gotten by," he said. "(Are salaries) based on the ability to pay, or is it based on the type of work?"

Find out how much cops in your town make.

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