Well, that be the point, ribit ... it is a policy decision ... made at the highest levels ... not by the police officers or National Guardsmen, themselves. So, IF the powers-that-be truly want to gain control against rioting and looting, they would authorize law enforcement officers on the ground to take these steps. But, the powers-that-be either: (1) do NOT want to gain control, or (2) are too squeamish to do what is necessary. Take your pick.

The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted. ~ D.H. Lawrence