Philosophy

The guardians of order were restless, eager to expand their authority. Petty transgressions became intolerable affronts to decency. Jaywalkers were tackled, spitters cuffed, and fined. Punishment outweighed the crime, but the enforcers reveled in their power to pass judgment.
The people felt besieged in their own communities. Trivial acts brought the full force of the law upon them. They longed for the freedom to live unencumbered by countless prohibitions and ordinances. Yet the badge-bearers multiplied, empowered by every minor infraction they uncovered.
The police knew that true safety arose from trust in the people, not suppressing them. But Required arrests, citations, and revenue generation directed them toward the harmless. They saw "disorder" in peaceful assembly and threats in jaywalking seniors. Quotas called for ever-increasing criminalization of the mundane.
Some proposed a different way: equip the people, not the police. universal cameras would capture any real danger while preventing overreach. Why increase force against benign behavior? Let the empowered community monitor itself, with police acting only against actual threats.