Perhaps the police pay is just the base, not including overtime or hazard pay that make up much of an officer’s total compensation.

Not to mention official and unofficial benefits; health care and a police pension obviously, but also running drugs on the side, free prostitutes, bribes, immunity from other police, and near absolute power over other individuals in the regular course of your job.

Not all of these still exist today, but many do.

Ha ha, I made $4/hr as a teenager in 1988. Then was given a big raise to $4.25, only because of a minimum wage hike.