You are right on the policing ourselves bit. We are lucky enough to live in a town (very small, only 300 people) and we contract out to the local sheriffs dept in a way that there is never a "cop" in town, we only call them if we need them. We police ourselves. If a cop does drive thru town we warn each other and wonder why they're there. It is wonderful. The bad part is that anytime you do actually need them they don't help one bit.

Also, I agree with everything else you said as well.