I would agree with you on 'responses to low level calls'.

Like, when the property behind me holds a party (the owner rents to 4 non-related 26 year olds, with an outside pool, and the kids have *zero* concept of being a good neighbor) --- I would prefer a system that when I call the cops at 2am that it doesnt detract from the effective crime fighting force.

Criminy, breaking it down to those types of issues might even mean the calls are responded to (right now, speaking with the neighbors on the other sides, the ratio of calls versus visits for the parties is somewhere around 12 calls to 4 cop showups --- the remainder involve me and the neighbors walking into the backyard and telling them to pipe down, and the other neighbor, another lawyer, actually drafting a civil complaint and leaving an unfiled copy with the house).

I would assume all 311 calls could be routed to such ancillary police-like offshoots.

And, let the 311 types have the power to run traffic enforcement.

But, dont pull all traffic enforcement from the real cops. It is a very valuable tool in that respect.

Again, my suggestion is to loosen liability if/when cops do 'bad'. Right now, as noted before, a cop has to go a *long* way off the reservation to be subject to civil liability. And, cities/counties are themselves hiding behind this liability shield, since it is *only* when a cop is found liable that the jurisdiction is implicated and has to pay for it.

Loosening qualified immunity is a check on jurisdictions to ensure that their cops 'behave' in a proper and legal manner. Kind of the same legal liability check that exists on every single member of society, and every person/entity that sells anything. Use the private enforcement power of the civil court system in a more liberal manner as a check.