The metric im using is the one in which ACAB was born out of, as a response to the terror of american police, and largely in part due to the drug war.
That view ignores the history from which the police was born out of (not just a slogan). Police were bastards long before the US war on drugs in the 1970s. From their inception the police was a violent, mercenary group that did the bidding of the landed elite. The police crushed workers' protests in the 19th century, long before the war on drugs.
so a police force is needed to stop violent acts
No, it is not. A people's militia could do the same, or the army/national guard, citizen-soldiers, a people's army, whatever you want to label it.
ultimately they will just do whatever who is paying them tell them to do.
Precisely. So how can you
What would you suggest a socialist country do? Pull the rug out from the police and abolish the whole institute?
Sure. Police have been historically counter-revolutionary and if a capitalist wants to undermine your State they will first attempt to bribe the police. Because now they have an armed force that is present all over the country. Having the police in a socialist country is like having a snake in a kindergarten.
What about domestic abuse?
Wjhat about it? Do you think the police prevents domestic abuse? LMAO. To stop domestic abuse you have to remove conditions which enable it: patriarchal capitalist society and its culture of "household breadwinner". There's also drug and alcohol abuse. These are all problems that the police can't fix. Police can however make them worse. Also, police officers are some of the worst domestic abusers, so I really don't know what your point is.
Neighbours who hear domestic abuse can stop it. But that requires that people actually give a shit about one another and take responsibility for the place they live in, and not just call "the police" and wash their hands off it.
It would inherently hit the vunerable; thats why I called it ‘idealism’
No, the vulnerable are the victims of police violence. You are the one who want to believe the police can be a force for good. I'm saying that "the police" as in "people who's job is to police/control people and effectively rule the streets" are inherently negative and cannot be reformed, they have to be abolished.r