Public trust is essential for law enforcement to function efficiently. Trust in the legitimacy of government and other members of society is inversely correlate

Public trust is essential for law enforcement to function efficiently. Trust in the legitimacy of government and other members of society is inversely correlated with crime and corruption. This is not to say that trust causes lower crime rates, but when agents of the government behave in ways that break trust and jeopardize the legitimacy of their station, the public is less willing to cooperate and more likely to operate outside of the system of law. Therefore, what is essential is that law enforcement act in ways that preserves trust, especially when the eyes of the nation are upon them. Trust and government behaviour form a feedback loop, such that if either one is maligned, it can disturb the stability of the entire system. I agree citizens are what matter, and that no government agency should be legitimized merely by its own existence. However, I do believe that the enforcement of the law leads to more optimal societal configurations than the Nash equilibrium. I'm not arguing for the preservation of a corrupt and self-serving government agency, I'm arguing that an institution which behaves in a manner that the public can trust will lead to greater utility for society.