On officers in general: When you know of officers in one agency describing another town's PD as a "goon squad", you become aware that there are agencies with problems that trickle down from the top, like hiring and training like. I'll go out on a limb and declare that most policemen do it right and make every effort to do so; individual officers like the infamous Daniel Harless of Canton OH stick out like sore thumbs.
I have no fear when my hometown police police are behind me. The local PD fired an officer over an incident where a lot of the public felt that the initial 3-day suspension and retrain were sufficient punishment (a stubborn alderman wanted him fired). There are jurisdictions I would rather drive around than through. A local op-ed pointed out, cops in Virginia have funsies ticketing drivers from Tennessee whose Tennessee-legal window tinting is above Virginia standards.
Good cop, bad cop, and "college guys open carrying in Oregon" reminds me that one of the lesser reasons I got a carry permit (besides the car jack murder of two of my brother's friends) was this: Tennessee outlaws "going armed", having a weapon for offense or defense in public, with the exception for handgun carry permit holders (TN is open or concealed, concealed preferred but accidental exposure treated as open carry). You can transport a gun to go hunting and target shooting without being in violation of the "going armed" statute; however, folks use that as a excuse to go armed. Traveling to family property on the mountain to shoot, I cross four county lines and pass through three municipalities, and decided a HCP would be a stay out of jail free card.
It's a shame really because a lot of rank and file police officers, especially in "fly over" country, are on our side in a lot of ways.
Back in the 1970s it was two city detectives and state corrections officer who persuaded me that having a gun at home for self defense was good idea, and I get the impression most local cops support shall-issue carry permits started in 1996. (In the 1970s public carry permits were at discretion of county sheriff, protective gun at home or place of business was an absolute right, transport to and from hunting grounds or target ranges or other tradition lawful uses was protected.)