[Political Junkie Too]

Their only responsibilities are to investigate the crime afterwards and then maybe make an attempt to catch the criminal, but they aren’t required to do the latter.

Then why give them guns?

You make it sound like the police are just a featherbedding operation designed to employ and pay them without them having to actually do anything.

If they have no obligation to protect and serve, then take away their guns and let them be administrators.

-PJ

[Spktyr]

Those are their only responsibilities *to the citizens*. They have other responsibilities to the state that apparently justify them being issued arms.