> but the purpose of the police is to enforce the law, which does not ideally _have_ to involve violence or threat of violence
Literally all law is fundamentally backed up with the threat of violence, there is no way around that philosophically. That's the difference between the rules of the state (which claims a monopoly on the legitimate use of violence) and the rules of a private person.
Enforcing the law reduces to the (hopefully regulated) application of violence or threat of same. Otherwise you'd call your lawyer and not a guy with a badge and a gun.
Literally all law is fundamentally backed up with the threat of violence, there is no way around that philosophically. That's the difference between the rules of the state (which claims a monopoly on the legitimate use of violence) and the rules of a private person.
Enforcing the law reduces to the (hopefully regulated) application of violence or threat of same. Otherwise you'd call your lawyer and not a guy with a badge and a gun.