Should police officers be given more power to carry out their mandates?:
I think if you(we) expect law enforcement to be able to do a certain job, then they should be duly empowered in writing to take the necessary actions, including use of force, to carry out the duties of that job. 

I also think that citizens should be more involved in community policing. Neighborhood watch is a great program, if there were more people out there doing it, there'd be less demand for police etc.