I'd say the real root is that police and their departments are allowed to harm people and then just wring their hands of the damage rather than ever having to m

I'd say the real root is that police and their departments are allowed to harm people and then just wring their hands of the damage rather than ever having to make their victims whole. The harshest repercussion they worry about is having to do extra paperwork. This applies to everything from simple detainment through wrongful arrest and outright homicide. We'd be a lot less outraged if the people arrested with flimsy tests, dog shows, profiling, etc and then later acquitted were ultimately compensated for their time, emotional distress, and legal representation - out of the overall budget for the criminal justice system. This would be a proper accounting for the externalities of law enforcement, rather than the current perverse reverse lottery for those who unluckily fall into their sights.