I agree with your characterization. It's often described as a monopoly on force. States, counties, and cities all have the right to use force to injure or kill you. "With great power comes great responsibility." Civilized societies need police forces (not everyone is a rational actor) but we should nearly always err on the side of mistrusting the police when it comes to policies and laws. People should become police understanding that they will be under the microscope at all times. That's the price they should pay for wielding firearms, forcing compliance, and the ability to arrest people.