I think it started with Rudy Giuliani in NYC. He "cracked down" on crime in NYC. Had an effect too. Crime went down, people started feeling safe. Everyone, including me, applauded. Other cities copied NYC.
We are now finding there was a price to pay for that order. Now EVERYONE knows what if feels like to have a cop scowl at you, challenging your right to be in a public place. Being pulled over for no good reason and challenged to prove you are not breaking the law. And the never ending stories of police brutality, even in "OUR" neighborhoods.
It started with the Clintons... police work and a ‘police state’ are two very different concepts. Giuliani was doing a broken window strategy. Totally different.