Believe what you like. Spent 25 years with PD.... then went to work for feds.... to keep my kids in private school... it was about better pay, cost of living allowance -now changed to locality pay... and PD paid for my college through federal grants... including graduate school. Took classes at Chaminde / San Jose MSCJA - joint program where PH D's from San Jose spoke about San Jose's change in police recruiting at the time. As a PD supervisor advised my college guys to go feds, better pay, better professional climb, opportunity to move about country , mandatory retirement at 57(law enforcement), then supplemental income till able to draw social security along with retirement. Retire then work as  PI for lawyers... that's how you make your degree work forward you . Lots of FBI agents retired make more than the Chief of Police in Honolulu,  which includes locality pay , which is part of your retirement high 3.