> Also, let's not pretend a lot of them aren't doing it for the power trip. ... and the ability (in many/most? places) to retire after 20 years with ~50% pay.

> Also, let's not pretend a lot of them aren't doing it for the power trip. ... and the ability (in many/most? places) to retire after 20 years with ~50% pay. SO many of these people give zero fucks about the communities they're policing because they don't actually live in them and, generally, aren't incentivized to do so. They take these jobs because it's the best of a limited number of options. They then adopt a siege/deployment mentality and bulldoze their way through 20 years of service in order to retire early and open a bar, fuck off to Florida, hang out on their boat, etc.