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The police are proud of the fact that they hire a large percentage of combat veterans.

I'm proud of being a veteran, and I'm proud of my fellow veterans. But, let's be honest. A young man whose training involves "shoot first" in a combat zone is NOT learning things like empathy, understanding, sympathy, or any of the other human virtues. Next, during his training as a cop, the emphasis is on enforcement, instead of peace keeping. Basically, it's more "shoot first", than "learn to empathize with people who have problems."

This culture isn't going to change overnight, or even within a decade. Even if the US were to make a committed effort to change that culture, it would take closer to fifty years to reach the goal.

And, meanwhile we have the gangs, and the real criminals, with whom proper responses to calls really are enforcement, and the threat of force. That complicates changing the culture.

Bottom line, cops aren't equipped to deal with the mentally handicapped, or even other handicaps. You can't expect them to be so equipped - they've never had training in the field.

I suppose a possible solution is to create police teams that include one real cop, and one soft cop. Someone who has had some training in dealing with people not in contact with reality. Or, maybe school teachers.

As already noted above, policing attracts people with issues of their own. Adrenaline junkies, control freaks, egotistical freaks, gun nuts who think all of life's answers grow out of the barrel of a weapon, and more. If/when we begin to truly understand that, then we may begin to change the culture.

Blue lives matter? Uhhhh - no. Not any more than any other life. Screw BLM, no matter which color is being touted as important. The cop who isn't willing to risk his own life for the sake of his fellow man isn't really a cop. He is certainly not a "peace keeping officer." He is just an enforcer.

All of the major gangs and criminal organizations have their enforcers.