[hinckley buzzard]

There was a time in this country when "the cop on the beat" was known and respected by the citizens. He was friendly with law abiding inhabitants of his beat. He didn't go around shooting pets on orders of a distant uninformed bureaucracy "just in case" one of them might be sick. Of course, back then cops used judgment, just like other adults.

[paddles]

Spot on. The “Cop on the beat” has had his discretion taken away and substituted with guidelines imposed by nameless, faceless, unaccountable bureaucrats.