REMINDER: These are just random conversations with GROK but I’m glad to dispel a factoid I was told years ago–that NH has the highest concentration of police to people–that has bothered me since I moved here. Thankfully, it is not true. New Hampshire is one of the safest places in the world thanks to the people and culture of independence, not thanks to authoritarian control. Here, Free Granite Staters are armed in order to protect themselves, as good people do.
No, it’s not true that New Hampshire has the highest concentration of police to population in the world. This claim doesn’t hold up when we look at the data for police officers per capita in New Hampshire compared to global figures. Let’s break it down.
New Hampshire’s Police-to-Population Ratio
In New Hampshire, the number of full-time certified police officers was reported at 3,117 in 2020 by the New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Council (per NHPR, 2022). With a population of approximately 1,377,529 in 2020 (U.S. Census estimate), this translates to:
- Officers per 100,000: (3,117 ÷ 1,377,529) × 100,000 = 226 officers per 100,000 people.
- Officers per 1,000: 2.26.
This figure aligns with trends from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) data, though exact 2023-2025 numbers aren’t fully published yet. NH’s ratio has grown over time—up 20% from 2,595 officers in 2000 (NHPR)—but it’s still modest compared to global extremes.
Global Comparison
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) provides a benchmark: a median of 300 police officers per 100,000 people worldwide (2006 analysis), with some regions like West Asia and Southern Europe hitting 400. Specific countries far exceed NH:
- Vatican City: With a population of ~800-1,000 and a Swiss Guard plus Gendarmerie totaling dozens (estimates suggest 130-150 personnel), the ratio could be 13,000-15,000 per 100,000—orders of magnitude higher than NH. It’s a tiny state, so the comparison’s skewed, but it’s often cited as the world’s highest.
- Pitcairn Islands: A UK territory with ~50 people and a reported police presence yielding 1,754 per 100,000 (WorldAtlas, 2018), though this is based on minimal staffing (1-2 officers).
- Bahrain: UNODC data lists 1,087 per 100,000 (2014), driven by security needs in a volatile region.
- Russia: Around 546 per 100,000 (UNODC, 2015) among large nations.
Even within the U.S., Washington, D.C., had 604 officers per 100,000 in 2016 (Governing.com), dwarfing NH’s 226.
Why the Claim Falls Apart
- NH vs. World: At 226 per 100,000, NH is below the global median (300) and far from outliers like Vatican City or Bahrain. It’s not even tops in the U.S.—Louisiana (478 per 100,000, SafeHome.org, 2022) and New York (448) outrank it.
- Context: NH’s low crime rate (140 violent crimes per 100,000 in 2023, SafeWise) and small population (1.4 million) mean its police force, while growing faster than population (20% vs. 11%, 2000-2020), isn’t unusually dense globally. Small states like Monaco or Singapore might rival Vatican City, but NH doesn’t.
Where the Idea Might Come From
The claim could stem from misreading NH’s police growth or its high officer-to-call ratio in some towns (e.g., Hudson’s 51 officers for 25,000 people, NHPR). But “highest in the world” is a stretch—data shows it’s not even close.
Verdict
New Hampshire’s police-to-population ratio is 226 per 100,000, solid for a safe, small state, but nowhere near the world’s highest. Vatican City, Pitcairn, or Bahrain blow it out of the water. If you heard this elsewhere, it’s likely hype or a mix-up with local staffing boasts. Want me to dig into a specific source for this claim?