content: Mechanics and carpenters are self employed. If officers were expected to cover expenses out of their wages, their wages would have to be raised to match. If we have to have government monopolies on policing, I'd prefer to see police have the same authority as civilians, they can have their extra equipment and training, but no legal privileges to do anything any of us can't. In this case, the consequences for shooting someone's pet after coming uninvited into their camp should be the same as if I had done so.