Had to take some time to process all of this. I certainly agree y'all should not be society's baby sitter or referee. Unfortunately, here we are.All great points... thanks.
Not only are citizens hesitant to act, and rightfully so, we are seeing new cops doing the same. I have to approve all of my shift's Use of Force Reports... ANY TIME one of our people do ANY THING other than place cuffs on a WILLING person, we have to do a complete use of force investigation and document that on a completely different form/system. So if we physically force your arms behind your back, no matter how great or less of a degree... report time.
As a result, some cops hesitate as they don't want to "create extra work" I've discussed this with other cops in other places and they have the same issue... that's not safe for any one. When it's time to act, you need to act extra paper work be damned.
My agency is a great place to work, our leadership still holds old school values where we treat people the way they allow us to. Our Administration has also come to the conclusion that bad actors must be weeded out as if we don't police ourselves, there are other institutions that will step in and do so... we have seen this in the past.
As far as Constitutional Policing vs. contemporary LE, again, society as a whole is responsible for the shift in roles and responsibilities spanning back some fifty years. A lack of other non-LE service institutions has resulted in LE being the default for just about every problem a person encounters, examples include:
Spending hours and hours looking for lost dementia patients (nest to suicides and OD cases, this consumes a lot of time)
Spending hours and hours at a residence waiting on the funeral home after a natural or non-suspicious death
Wasting time responding to people on I-75 who were so stupid they ran out of gas
Wasting hours responding to parents complaining that they can't control their 10 y/o
Wasting hours on barking dog calls and other animal/wildlife related calls where there is no real danger or problem
Wasting hours responding to calls because someone simply drove through a neighborhood the person didn't know
Hours and hours wasted responding to civil disputes LE can't do anything about, such as child custody disagreements
Wasting time on landlord/tenant disputes LE can't do any thing about
Responding to drug overdose and suicide threats (this consumes at least 30% or more of a normal day at work)
Wasting time and resources providing escorts so people can retrieve property w/o conflict (post divorce or break up)
Responding to people locked out of their car or house
Responding for welfare checks because the neighbor thinks a newspaper in the driveway means you're dead
One estranged parent wanting welfare checks on their kids as a way to harass/inconvenience the other half
An insane amount hours wasted on DCF calls that are bogus yet the state won't prosecute for false reporting
I could go on and on, but I think readers get the point. With all the "white noise" LEO's have to perform and deal with, there is little time for proactive quality police patrol activities that actually help prevent your house or car from being burglarized.
I blame LE leaders of years past for allowing this encroachment of non-LE related services into the career field. PUBLIC SERVANT now days means call the cops for any problem you might have... including getting the lid off a stuck jar...lol.
Sorry for the long rant... but gone forever are the days of cops doing just cop stuff.
ETA- I know this sounds like be just bitching... I guess I am. I'm worn down, I'm tired, I want out. I can't wait to retire, but until I do, I will continue to provide the best leadership I can to the new kids in hopes they will do the right thing(s).
I know a guy down in Jupiter in circumstances similar to yours. No one will take care of you like you, so you make sure to take care of you. Doesn't mean you have to ignore/neglect others. Pick a point between you and where you wanna be and go there. Repeat as necessary. Don't stay static. That just sucks more.