Can anyone find the source of this quote? I may not be exactly right but the essence is something like this, "The only legitimate function of government is to protect the citizenry from criminals but inevitably the government usurps the function of the criminal and becomes a greater danger to the citizens than the criminal could ever be".
You may be looking for this one:
"There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals. When there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws."
--Unknown
Or possibly this one:
"The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first."
--Thomas Jefferson
Either one is as very true today as when the originator thought it!
God I love Jefferson!