Who needs 2 officers per shift in a town of 700? One cop per 350 people?
My neighborhood inside of a large city has about 5,000 people in it. Generally there isn’t a single cop there, but one cop would be able to cover the whole area without any problems.
I’ll bet you that most towns of 700 in the U.S. don’t even have 1 town cop, and if they do have one, its a constable that does not provide anything close to 24/7 coverage.
If I were a cop I would want a partner to watch my back.
Wouldn't you?