Police are worse than useless in a society of responsible people. Only the grossly irresponsible see a need for police, since they've been convinced they can't handle situations themselves.
Of course, the argument could be made that we live in a failed society populated with grossly irresponsible people. I wouldn't disagree too hard. The acceptance of cops among us makes the point.
Cops encourage this lack of thinking-- it secures their theft-funded "jobs". It's why they are enthusiastic to molest people who've dealt with bad guys themselves. "Job" security for a "job" that has no business existing.
Even if there were no police, only private security, I probably wouldn't hire them anyway. I have never seen a use for them. They only make bad situations worse by their presence. Investigators are a completely different situation. Give me a Sherlock Holmes, not a Lestrade-- and let me hire one for myself if I need one.
You can hire as many as you want and can afford-- just don't expect your neighbors to foot the bill for something they have no desire for and decide they can't afford.
However, there would be one huge improvement if society made the switch to private security-- I doubt that private "cops" would lurk around looking to cause trouble like real, government-employed cops do today.
If your job has to be funded coercively-- through taxation-- it's not an ethical job. Ethical people (who've realized the situation) don't accept such jobs.
I do my best to avoid places where cops are loitering, watching everyone and looking to start something. I found myself in such a place over the weekend, and I didn't stay long. I have no desire to be around loitering gangs of Blue Line Mafia thugs.
Almost worse than the cops are the people who fawn over them. What are they lacking that they feel the need to lick the boots? Sick, sick people.
