"Police are used as weapons of the state against the people. We have no need of 100's of masked and heavily armed goons at every peaceful demonstration, reminding us of how we really don't have a right to peaceful protests. The police serve the interests of those with money. I say cut them in half asap. There is No reason police should be ticketing homeless people, or harassing people at protests. Or harassing people through police brutality, crimes against victims, etc. The police literally get away with murder.
I probably wouldn't have a huge problem with the police size as it is now if they were a product of something other than a grade 12 education and 6 months in training how to become assholes to the people you are supposed to protect."
It's hard, but not impossible, to argue why we need to maintain a large police force when crime stats are so consistently dropping. I would think the only arguement Police Chiefs have is that the crime stats are dropping because we have such a large police force, and to lay off cops would create crime.
I think there might be a mote of truth to that, but having the baby boomer males move out of the 18-35 year old demographic seems to have played a larger part in crime reduction. Boomers have grown up, calmed down, and are working for the clampdown. As Joe Strummer might say.
So, you're assesment, Stargazer, is not conflicting with mine, certainly.