Cops generally work out better in small towns, probably because they usually know what they're getting into so it's less of a militarized us vs them situation. I've had cops in Anchorage draw guns on me 3 times for no reason and have been interrogated using obvious baits and psychological tricks designed to make innocent people admit to things and volunteer incriminating information, once when I was actually helping them. I don't draw an "all cops are bad" conclusion from it the way a lot of people do, but it has made me think that the best way to make any situation ten times worse is to call the cops, which does influence my pro-gun views.
All that shit said, I strongly disagree with the premise that a modest rise in armored vehicles operated by police is a meaningful indicator of creeping fascism.
