Sounds like another case of "caliber envy" to me.
Dammit people, it's not the size of the bullet, it's what you DO with it that counts.
Shot placement! Shot placement! Shot placement!:banghead:
Aim where it counts! Hit what you aim at, every time! Repeat as necessary until the threat is eliminated! If you can do it with a .45, great. If you can do it with a 9mm, also great. Train until you can do it right, every time. Then keep training some more.
Chief Hawks' quote in that article is the only one that makes any sense.
Maybe the real reason police departments are moving to the larger calibers is so that the officers will be carrying less ammo, so when they shoot (and miss, as they are often reported to do) there will be, statistically speaking, less stray rounds flying around downrange.
Look on the bright side: more police trade-in SIG 9mm's for sale soon...