Plenty of rural areas will only be serviced by a county sheriff, and there may not be that many officers. I grew up in a place like that. You could drive around forever where I grew up and never see a cop.

A few years some parents left their kid home alone while on vacation.

Neighbors knew family had gone vacation and saw movement at night. Jumpy cop, dark house, sudden movement, dead kid...

Family got big payout, City dismantled the police department.