I agree that there are a whole lot of factors that play into how and what police forces would like. A few of points come to my mind.
1. Does the police force exist in a town or city where the populace are organized into a militia or sorts?
2. Are the police the only form of security for a community?
3. What kind environmental factors exist in and around the communities?
I tend to agree that a lot of the younger military age officers won't be around, but for more rural communities I would think the local authorities (cops and sheriffs) will be a bit more militarized as well as extremely prejudiced with regards to the communities and people they are protecting. It wouldn't be surprising to see some municipalities going back to old west style justice, but I can also see small rural towns having paramilitary police forces.
Now the proximity of military units, marauders, large nomadic gangs and such would probably have a big effect on what this would look like.
I also think it would be a bad assumption to think that a lone cop would not be dangerous. If a cop or sheriff has survived to 2001 with only a handgun and shotgun to protect people from marauders and gangs and such, he is probably a lot more resourceful than a soldier that has come to rely on his unit members and fully automatic weapons.
My 2 cents.
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