Shane:
Without getting into too much detail, I have a little law enforcement experience. I live in a large city that has a police department whose selection criteria are for the most part politically based rather than qualification based. One of my closest friends is a retired captain from said department, and his advice to me upon mentioning a career with this department was a flat-out NO, don't do it, go somewhere else. I know guys here I would trust my life to in a heartbeat, and I know people I wouldn't trust with 50 cents to buy me a Coke. I meant absolutely, unequivocally NO insult whatsoever to any law enforcement officer. I meant only to address that there are those wearing a badge who shouldn't be. I've personally locked one up myself. That's no reflection on the LEO community; rather, the departments that hire anybody with a pulse. The department here will hire CRIMINALS and that is no exaggeration. I don't know exactly how tight the controls are in Canada, but they can be pretty damn loose here sometimes. Rampart division in California is a perfect example. Want one of those guys to start shooting in an airplane? I don't.
I respond so strongly because I realize you are an LEO. Please don't misunderstand my intent. Aircraft are just not places that you can realistically have lots of people with guns, especially when you can't vouch for their experience, training, or frame of mind. It saddens me to say that too many county and municipal governments in this country do not take applicant screening seriously enough. But it is a fact.
I would never suggest that more faith should be put in a pilot's ability to handle a violent offender, rather than a typical police officer. However, I would trust that pilot to better understand the effects of a bullet punching holes in his airplane, rather than the guy firing the shots when all he's had is typical state or local-level academy firearms training. I can tell you for a fact that the local PD does not discuss any type of ROE for an aircraft incident. Up until a couple of weeks ago, why would they? They're not federal.
I hate to have to say it, but there's people working behind badges in this country that just shouldn't be. Period. And I don't think it's practical to open up commercial flights to every local LEO just because he's an LEO. There's no way to guarantee that he's not one of those guys that shouldn't be. On the other hand, federal screening criteria are far more stringent, so that's a different matter. I hope you understand my point of view, but if not, that's OK too. Just don't take it as an insult that it wasn't meant to be.