We could also just hire a lot more cops. The US is underpoliced in relation to Europe and there’s decent evidence that it’s a major contributor to the higher crime rate in the US.
All around the world, and certainly in developed countries, having power over other people is the biggest draw for joining the police.
This is of course also true in Europe. The reason European cops (usually) don’t just randomly kill people is that they (usually) can’t get away with it, not that they wouldn’t want to.
People join the police so they can rule over people, not so they can “serve” them.
I was quite surprised to find that the figures don't back that up. I'm not sure how to account for it. Perhaps the fact that every mall security guard is given a mock police uniform, a gun and a huge SUV contributes to the feeling.
In one county, the locals are actively against paying higher taxes to fund the police. They pay a third per capita what other counties do. The problems due to the lack of police are well known - 911 calls often end with "I'm sorry - there just aren't officers available to help you. Please protect yourself."