It is very easy to tar everyone with the same brush and to make broad brush statements especially when they suit your own narrative. I had the honour for over 7 years to serve as DUEO on a police air support unit. This was in the days of proper police air support. We had 2 civilian air observers (both of whom predated me on the unit )and they were both as good, and in some cases better, than warranted police officers. Yes they had to learn about the law and on the very rare occasions that we landed on were not able to perform the ceremony of the laying on of hands but they both did an excellent job.
Just because you had a warrant card did not make you a good air observer, we were a crew and we all complimented each other.
It is not good to compare police air support of our day with that of today, it is two totally different eras. For those of us old gits lets just remember the good times!