Yes. This is a conversation I have had with many friends.
Police are misused, imo, by society to clean up macro issues, one person at a time, that police have no ability to control outside criminal investigation.
Police are where "the rubber meets the road" for policy failure and unrecognized socioculturally trends. They are easy to blame for up-the-pyramid authority while being the only easily visible aspect of a ineffective, corrupt gvt.
Just a week ago I needed an answer re interstate transportion of controlled items. I realized I am the only person I know who knows any cops. This struck me as ludicrous as many people I know have strong (>75% negative) opinions about police. I got my answers directly.
In the US, a typical metro area police is what I descrobe as a janitor of humanity. Domestic violence, mental illness, drunks and drug addicts, vehicle accidents, and various antisocial acts make up a good portion of a day's chores. Being insulted, spit on, bitten, having offenders intentionally defecate in patrol cars, and of course a rainbow of physical confrontation are all common occurences.
Imagine dealing with that everyday, every week, every month, for years. The "us vs. them mentality" is of course not good, and not how police ought to be thinking, but as I came to know cops, it became clear to me that I would not have the moral fortitude to maintain a default empathy.
Now, add in politicians, activists and media asserting that you are a agent of oppression, a sociopath, and liable for outcomes in the thousands of conflicts you will encounter in your career.
Police are misused, imo, by society to clean up macro issues, one person at a time, that police have no ability to control outside criminal investigation.
Police are where "the rubber meets the road" for policy failure and unrecognized socioculturally trends. They are easy to blame for up-the-pyramid authority while being the only easily visible aspect of a ineffective, corrupt gvt.