Have known a few cops who were decent people, and I've had one nice dealing with a cop who ended up throwing out my ticket (I was driving). Other than that I've had a lot of bad experiences with police and I generally don't like/trust them. I've always wondered, what kind of person decides to go into law enforcement? Sure, there are the starry eyed idealists, but it seems like it's a career path that is going to appeal mostly to the jock mentality; cynics and people who want power. On the other hand, it's a gritty, thankless job. Obviously there is no simple solution, but I think what can make things better is:

A) Less ridiculously BS laws (end the drug war, etc.)
B) More cops who are natives of the community they patrol
C) More accountability (chief of police becoming an elected office maybe?)