On the contrary, I'm not implying all cops are bad. My thesis is this:
1. They are taught how to play the game. In fact if they don't do that their fellow officers will get on their case and (possibly) rightly so. They are there to make arrests.
2. The typical LEO may, in fact, be a predator type. Now that doesn't mean bad, it just means a type of mindset and attitude and it might be a good idea to at least mimic this on the street if it means they'll stay alive.
3. The typical LEO can "learn" what the BG's know and how to 'get away' with illegal acts. They are in that milieu and it's not hard to see how one can become hardened when they don't get support from above, are poorly paid (compared to the risk) and are usually not being enabled to get further education and training. If a LEO is a 'good guy' when he starts and then is exposed to bad guys and crime I don't wonder that it changes them.
4. LEOs should do more to distinguish between ordinary citizens and predators and treat citizens differently, with kindness and tolerance.
5. LEOs generally have a need to 'win' an encounter, and they have a macho attitude and feel stepped on when a citizen OC-ing is invading their turf (i.e. possessing a weapon and an ability to defend themselves). I've said before I think they challenge OC-ers because of a primitive 'I'm bigger, I get the girl' mentality. That's why we see nicer treatment of female OC-ers (and female drivers). Cops are not 'challenged' by females, and their 'reptile brain' is not evoked.
6. LEOs have a good sense of when someone is a danger - they should listen to it and not hassle OC-ers who are walking their dog, doing an e-check and disarming them and playing around with an unfamiliar gun. To some LEOs it's an easy stop, taking on a docile, good guy versus going after a BG.
7. LEOs think they know the law and probably do, but will use the citizen's ignorance of their rights and the law to bully citizens when they wish. They undoubtedly get the support of the higher ups and know how far they can push things. The blame often lies with their superiors. If they were told to 'stop hassling ordinary citizens' they would do so but the higher ups won't do that.
8. LEOs have two top priorities - to make an arrest or assert their authority, to protect each other. Protecting any citizen is not only low on the list, it's really not even on the list of priorities.
9. LEOs will not just lie to suspects, they'll plant evidence, and 'find' cause where none exists. This might be borderline apropos with true predators, but all too often they are used on ordinary citizens. This is wrong. A bigger problem is that the LEOs think this is justified within the big picture. They feel the courts are too lenient so they become judge, jury and executioner.
10. There is a general lack of accountability on the part of LEOs who will do an armed home invasion, knowing there is a small chance they're at the wrong address and often for a victimless crime.
In summary, I put a lot of the onus on their supervision and higher ups who could easily curb this behavior and reward those using proper police procedure, but there is a pay off for letting it go on, and I'm not sure what that is.