You can NEVER depend upon a police officer to protect you.
Several years back I was in a convenience market late at night buying milk and bread. An armed holdup man came in, herded me, the clerk and the manager into a storeroom, locked us in and then rifled the cash drawer. Immediately upon being locked in, the manager placed a call to the police to report a robbery in progress. It took 2-1/2 hours and 6 or 8 calls during that time, before the police arrived and released us from the store room.
This would not have happened if any of us had a weapon.
Where were you that it took police 2.5 hours to repond to an armed robbery in progress? Seriously. Was there an investigation? A public outcry? Did that make the news? I should be able to read about that somewhere or you guys didn’t do your job as citizens.