Police officers have taken on one of the most dangerous jobs in our society

Police officers protect citizens from other citizens, and they face the delicate task of balancing the rights of the aggrieved with the rights of the accused. Of course, we could make a blanket change to the laws and tell cops not to make arrests over misdemeanors. But if you own a business, you may quickly find that this means open season for your stock. And we could tell cops not to chase fleeing felons. But if burglars simply have to run from police to escape justice, then there will be a lot of criminals on the loose.

Finally, we can tell our police officers never to draw their weapon unless drawn upon. Yet then we would be telling them to put their lives at even greater risk even as they are out there trying to protect ours. Constrain police too much, and remove their ability to exercise good judgment, and the about a dozen cops left willing to do the job will be ineffective — and every criminal will know it.