I see many who don't accept the .380 as adequate coming from the LE side, or already in the big bore camp. It's a point of view where controlling the risk is important because it is a probable event - armed conflict is part and parcel of what may be in their life. Officers who don't ever pull their firearm in their career are still out there, but the attitude is that it will happen, not might.
Balancing the odds, recommending what they know to be a responsible choice, and dealing with increased risk is certainly ok. It is not what most suburban or small town citizens encounter in their lifetimes - because they don't go there. Their risk avoidance measures are in where they live, do business, and lifestyle, not something a policeman has much say about. He/she signed up for the risk, civilians live their lives staying away from it.
When you march TO the sound of gunfire, you will assess your firearms choices much differently than those who act just as responsibly by getting the heck out of there.
So, choose caliber by what risk you are assessing - neighborhood, job type, working hours, etc. Crikey, if I was big city LE, I'd probably want to carry an MP5. But as a working guy on late shift, traveling rural to get home, living in a small town with almost no crime, a smaller caliber will do for everyday carry.
It doesn't make the big bore wrong at all. I'm glad it's out there to serve. With the latest compact 9's and .45's coming out, it's all good to be able to carry bigger when I can afford it. But it's not mandatory for everybody.
There really is no argument about caliber, just perceptions about risk.