I bet your tin foil hat cost you a pretty penny.
Last I checked, officers of the law are on the enforcement side - not the creating side.
A police state ? I sure hope you are not refering to your home state. I had several encounters with law enforcement agencies while there. 1) going just a tad over the posted speed limit - let go with a stern warning. 2) one each Sheriff Buford T. Justice (big pot belly, mirrored sun glasses) just did not like my truck. I assume he figured he would find / smell something, don't know. He let me go - after a bit. 3) Fish and Game - using wrong equipment on wrong part of river. Man, you talk about "code" for rules on fishing. Wow. And after a bit of a lecture he let me go. The military ID did no harm in all above.
Decent bunch of folks I'd say - 'cept maybe for Buford - he was a butt.
LVM