I used to have Dodger Season Tickets next to four LAPD Officers. They entered the academy together. To a man, they said their motivation was to make things safer for those unable to protect temselves. I also knew a man, from earlier in my life, who had offered me racists publications and invited me to ji a group. I politely declined. Later, I learned that he became an officer on LAPD, and ultimately was a Police Commissioner. Like you, I am of the opinion that most cops do the job for the right reasons. But, not all calls they get should be answered by armed police officers. We have a service in my town of mental health trained problem solvers that roll to non-violent situations. And, not everyone who wants to should be given a badge and a gun. The old saying goes, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Maybe we should require a number of years working unarmed, prior to giving them deadly weapons. Shooting someone in real life is not like in the movies or TV. In real life, they stay dead.
