You’re right.
They are effectively aiding the anarchists and preventing the citizens from defending themselves.
The police forces are standing down in the face of the Antifa/BLM thugs because they have ORDERS from the civil authorities to stand down. Governors and mayors of these cities and states that have been hit by the riots have SPECIFICALLY saddled their police forces with excessive demands to limit the use of various policing strategies and tactics in carrying out the duties of maintaining civil tranquility and the rule of law. Not only that, once perpetrators have been arrested, the prosecuting attorneys have been almost immediately turning loose those very same criminals on specious grounds and NO BAIL, often before the arresting paperwork is completed.
Futility in the face of this total lack of support from the civil authorities has greatly discouraged the policeman on the beat from carrying out his duties of serving and protecting the community. Couple this with stripping away funds to do even the most elementary tasks related to maintaining order and calm, and it is small wonder that the otherwise dedicated police are simply walking away in ever-increasing numbers.