Small towns generally do better policing than cities do. Their police have a better chance of knowing potential problems before they get out of hand.
Much closer to the framer’s intent. Generally one civilian given a small amount of authority and backed up by other local civilians.
One of the opening scenes in the Courage New Hampshire series showed a colonial sheriff (played by Andrew Breitbart) handing down the king’s sentences on local people. This outside law angered the citizens who felt they were better equipped to deal with crimes committed by their own neighbors.