If anyone has traveled to another country, chances are you will see the police are indeed your friends.
We are told the U.S. is the most free country in the world, after traveling to various places in Asia and South America I can tell you that this is bullshit.
In the U.S., I agree the militarization of the police is a big issue, they are oppressive and look for reasons to arrest, imprison and generally screw with the general population.