As long as city goverments maintain control over their police agencies there will never be an airbourne law enforcement "Standard". City budgets dictate the machine that is flown, and how much it is flown. I must agree with Helimark. I have not come across any police agency that do not require their pilots to posess an FAA commerical pilots license, and their mechanics to posess an FAA A&P. A huge percentage fly per the FARs. The "public use" clause, is usually cited by those flying ex-military aircraft, that the FAA has made it impossible to recertify with ridiculous requirements that do not make the aircraft any safer to fly.
And how could you begin to compare Tampa, to New York, or Houston. Police avaition departments are aircraft operators, some operators do a better job at operating than others.